The Trade
by mykonos227
Summary: AU: Time is running out and Peeta has an important proposal for Katniss. In a world were their futures are picked for them, Peeta and Katniss will find a way to make a life for themselves. Based on the marriage law premise of another story in FF. No Hunger Games.
1. Trade

**Hey! This is my first fanfic for The Hunger Games. The premise is based on another story I read here but I can't remember the title. But I will find it and give the author credit asap. The story, however, will be different. This is Peeta's POV, and will mostly stay that way.**

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**1\. **

There's an abnormal cadence to my breathing as I walk. It couldn't be different, since I'm intent on the number of breaths I'm allowing per minute. Otherwise I would be gasping as if I'd run for miles when I had only walked a few hundred yards. It's easier, however, to focus on my breath rather than being entirely aware of what I'm doing. I'm walking, I'm breathing, I'm not thinking about it.

I'm kidding myself. How could I not be thinking about it?

If I thought about what I was doing, I'd surely be running back home to safety and I couldn't afford to do that right now. I was running out of time. Sunday. Seven days from now and it was over. I'd been so cowardly for eighteen years that I had waited until there were only seven days left before I felt pressured enough to take action. And now, a week away from the inevitable, I was forced to ignore my dry mouth, sweaty palms and nervous pace. I had to be there and once I was there, I had to talk to her. It was now or never.

I couldn't help my pessimism. Nerves can choke you that way. You might know what you want and even figure out a way to achieve it, but then a tiny voice will sneak into your head. A nagging voice that will paint all sorts of grim and disheartening possibilities, unexpected turn of events that will not only mean that you won't reach your purpose, but also that rejection will come in a painful way. Rejection.

I stopped, the Seam was visible now, I could see the small stretch of road ahead of me, and finally the small houses that were inhabited mostly by miners. I couldn't move a step closer. For a second, my feebly constructed courage had suddenly shattered by my feet. I took a deep breath in, releasing myself from the tortuous rhythm I had inflicted on my lungs a second ago. I was losing it. I was exaggerating, I knew that. Or, was I? I looked around me, desperately searching for a distraction as I tried to regain whatever emotion had brought me this far.

The road was dark, barely lit by the moon. Since I was right between the edges of town and the border of the Seam, the nearest houses were a few feet back or forward. It was possible to barely make out the edge of such houses, yet it was still obvious how different the two parts of town were. The houses in town were poor, no one would dispute that. The only home remotely acceptable was the mayor's house. Merchants lived in town, close to their businesses or sometimes in a house above their businesses, like my family and I. Miners and their families lived at the Seam. It was widely frowned upon when someone from the merchant side of the district got involved with someone from the Seam. People had followed this unwritten rule for generations, and as a result the difference between both sides was not only geographical, it was also present in the physical traits of their inhabitants.

People from the Seam had darker skin, darker hair and either brown or clear eyes. Merchants were mostly blonde and blue eyed. I was. I had blond curls and blue eyes, a true depiction of what a merchant's son was supposed to look like. And Katniss, the true source of my anxiety, was from the Seam. She had long dark hair that she kept in a thick braid all the time. Olive skin that clung to her soft frame and gray and piercing eyes. Looking at her was unsettling. Her gaze gave you the certainty that she could see straight through you, she knew all of your secrets and she wasn't impressed. At least that's how I thought it felt like, she'd only looked directly at me once and after that I'd always had the weirdest sensation that she was still looking at me whenever she was near. Not that this was true, she barely knew I existed at all.

My exercise in distraction had just betrayed me and I was feeling worse by the minute. She didn't know who I was, why on earth had I thought this was a good idea? If I had any sense at all left, I would go running back to town and ask among my friends who were still available. I could be married by tomorrow, not doubt there would be many that had waited just as long as I and surely someone would want to marry me. I wasn't too bad looking and I had a good trade, everyone knew that now my brothers had left I would be getting the bakery.

The problem was that I wouldn't want to marry them. I only wanted to be with Katniss.

It wasn't just that I didn't want to be with someone else. Or that I would most likely burn in jealousy if she married another man and I had to see them together day after day in the same District. I might have endured that, I had to before when she was with Gale Hawthorne. It was worse than that, if she didn't get married at all she would be taken from the District. She would be reaped and once she got on that train, I would never see her again.

I started walking again, my courage renewed. I'd remember what had brought me this far and now I was not going to let that thought go. The thought of having her taken somewhere else so that she could marry some stranger had made me come to this decision in the first place. Stories were told all the time, mostly to incite fear among those who were approaching the age of eligibility for the reaping and had not considered marrying. Sure, marrying to someone in your District you did not care for was bad enough. But being taken away into some foreign District was worse. You'd never hear from your family again, you would be given a specific job and would have to marry the person the Capitol chose to be fit for you. Those marriages rarely ended well. Or so they told us.

You might marry someone you stand and even come to the idea of being together. But that happened only if you were lucky. For the most part, those who were married off to those from other districts had to stand a lot of pressure. Normally, you would have five years to fill your quota of three children. If you were reaped, you only had three. It was a sort of punishment for making the Capitol find your spouse for you because you had been too stupid or lazy to find a suitable match on your own, or so my mother said. I just thought it was a strategy to force us to make a decision fast so they didn't have too many people being reaped every year. Most importantly it was an overt reminder that we had no control over or lives or whatsoever, like everything in Panem, we belonged to the Capitol.

I didn't want that for myself, but mostly I didn't want that for Katniss. Two years ago when Gale Hawthorne turned eighteen I was so desperate for her to stay that I internally hoped that Katniss would marry him. Just so I was certain she would stay. I knew that if anybody had a chance in District 12 to marry her, it was Gale. They'd probably been together for a long time now since they were together whenever they could at school and after school. How many times had I seen them walking back to the Seam together? If Katniss was going to marry anyone, it would be Gale Hawthorne. I even thought I had prepared myself for it. But then the reaping came, they called out the names of those to be reaped and Gale was among them. I couldn't believe it at first, I thought I had heard wrong. But the tall boy stepped forward and soon he was taken to the trains. I felt guilty when I felt my entire body flood with relief, I hadn't been as ready to see her married as I'd thought. Then I noticed Katniss' expression, she was by the edge of the crowd, she was looking down and looked like she was about to cry, my expression fell with that. She looked so sad that I almost walked up to her, but then she took her sister's hand and moved away from the crowd. For two years I made up my mind that maybe with Gale gone, I would get a chance with her.

Now I was not so sure. And whenever I wasn't terrified about the possibility, a very real possibility of her saying no, I was even more horrified with the idea of her leaving for good. I moved faster now. That is what I had to keep in mind. Never seeing her again.

I'd never gotten this close before, I thought to myself. Her house was by the edge of the Seam so I didn't have to wander too far from town. It was best this way, even at night I would stand out if anyone was there to see me. Finally, I saw her house.

It was a small house, like all the other ones in the Seam. It was easy to spot however, because of the goat tied up in the front yard. The wood had once been of a different color but now it was washed up and slightly darkened because of the coal dust. Everything in the Seam was covered by at least one layer of coal dust, because of the proximity to the mines. They kept it clean, however, the few patches of grass looked trimmed and you could see repairs here and there. There was light coming from the windows, not electrical but most likely candles. There were often power shortages in District 12, in the Seam it was almost a rule to have no power after certain hour. I only knew that because for most of my life, I'd been paying attention.

I'd reached the small gate that separated the small house from the rest of the Seam. The goat didn't even look at me, and I heard a cat meowing not far away. I turned and saw him climbing down the side of the house. I didn't know she had a cat, although I was almost certain that it wasn't hers, it must be her sister's.

I crossed the gate, taking a deep breath and now I could hear the sounds from the house. I could hear a child's voice, definitely her sister. She was the only one talking, I caught some words like Rory, school, cheese and something else. Then I heard laughter, I wondered if it was Katniss, I'd never heard her laugh before. But then I heard her voice and I stopped cold, the laughter continued so it had to be her mother's. Prim's voice continued and Katniss stopped talking. I moved forward thinking how I'd never heard her laugh before. Not for so long maybe a smile here or there. I encouraged myself thinking that maybe if I asked and she said yes, I would eventually be able to earn her smiles and even hear her laugh.

This final thought was what propped me to knock on the door.

The talking stopped immediately. I heard light footsteps bouncing closer until the door opened slightly.

"Hello," the voice from before said. I knew her, I'd seen her often around the bakery looking at the cakes I frosted. Her name was Prim and she looked as much like a merchant as I did. Her blonde hair and blue eyes hinted at her mother's merchant origin.

"Hello," I heard my voice croak. I cleared my throat. I didn't recognize my own voice. My hands were shaking again. "Is Katniss here?" she looked confused but didn't seem bothered.

"I'll go get her," she said with a warm expression and a smile and went in to get her sister. It seemed like she was going to close the door at my face but when it was about to be entirely closed, she stopped it. There was no going back now, Katniss would know I was here in just a second.

I turned around, trying to get my bearings when the door swung open. Her expression looked expectant and as I turned to face her, my heart beating violently, her eyes turned suspicious. Her expression indifferent. I'd seen her like this before, it was what she usually looked like. She didn't speak, her stance was menacing. She always seemed to be ready to react to a rebuff. I stood up straight, knowing she wouldn't appreciate weakness and tried to look friendly as I spoke. I looked at her eyes as much as I could but it was hard. It was like she already knew why I was here and she was just waiting for me to open my mouth to say no.

"Good evening, Katniss. I don't know if you know me, I'm Peeta Mellark," I started to say.

"I know who you are." she cut me off. Her voice was intimidating too. She didn't scream, she barely ever raised her voice but that was what made it so powerful. Whenever she did talk it was enchanting. Her tone was steady and detached, heavily apprehensive.

"Oh, great," I said, not knowing why she would know who I was but being grateful all the same. For a moment I panicked and didn't know what to say. She was getting impatient, I could see that as she leaned on the door frame. "I came here to talk about a trade." I said, remembering what had been the plan all along.

My intention was not to deceive her, not for a moment. If I thought she would react mildly positive to a proper declaration of love I would have gone with that instead. But I knew better. I knew her better than to think that would get me anywhere but a door shut in the face. She looked at me and her eyes turned even harder, I didn't know that was possible.

"What is it?" she said and I looked over her shoulder. Anything to distract me from her unwavering glare.

"Can we talk somewhere else, I wouldn't want to inconvenience your family." I said and she didn't look away from me to know what I meant.

"Wait here." She said and unlike Prim she did close the door entirely. For a moment I thought she wasn't coming back. I wondered if I should go but the door opened. She had her jacket on and came out and walked as if I wasn't there. I followed her silently a few paces behind her wondering where we would go. She finally stopped when we reached a small Meadow. I looked around and almost smile at our surroundings.

The sky was dark and menacing in its vastness, the stars shining above us and the moon visible in a quarter crescent. The woods were not far so the entire area was saturated with the different scents of the trees and soil that the wind carried in a subtle breeze. The meadow's knee high grass moved on a gentle and soothing motion, the wild flowers that had managed to grow in the greenery were untouched by anything but the moonlight. This was an amazing place to have this conversation in. I believed this wholeheartedly until she turned to face me and I noticed her exasperated expression.

"What do you want to trade and in exchange for what?" she said sharply and I had to remind myself to stand up straight.

"You might want to sit down, it's hard to explain." I said and eyed the two rocks behind her. She didn't even look in that direction. All right. "I came here to ask you something, it has to do with the reaping in a week." Her brow furrowed.

"What about it?" she looked confused. Not interested, just confused.

"First, I wanted to ask you if you were still available?" I said and her immediate irritation made me continue, it might be the only chance I would get to actually say the words. "If you are, I was wondering if, um, you'd consider being my partner?" Not wife. I couldn't say that word, it would give my question a different meaning. Regardless of my determination to seem unaltered I had mumbled the question and I hoped she had heard me. The look of disbelief in her face told me she had.

"I thought this was about a trade." This might have the longest conversation I'd ever had with her, the only one in fact but I wasn't so obtuse as to not notice her sudden urge to get away from me as fast as possible.

"It is." My courage returned. Why couldn't it just stay as unwavering as her irritation, it would make this so much easier. "It's just hard to explain, like I said before." She glared at me. "If you agree I think we can both benefit from it." She stepped away from me, I was sure this was it for a moment. She would leave and the last of my hopes would go with her. For a second I thought I was right and she _would _leave, I think it was her intention, instead she went to sit by the rocks I had seen when we arrived. She sat there, crossing her legs in front of her. I followed closely and I sat down on the grass. I looked up at her as I spoke. I couldn't look like a scared boy as I said this. "As you know the reaping will be next week." Her impatience was evident, for once I decided not to let that bother me. I'd gotten this far, she was willing to listen. "I don't have a partner yet and since you haven't stopped me I'll assume you don't have one either," I paused she didn't even flinch but I took that as an affirmative response "I don't want to leave the District, Katniss." I said her name softly, like a plea. Relishing in the fact that I could say her name to her face and that she was listening. "My father needs me at the bakery, with both of my brothers gone I am the only one left to take over the business. If I am reaped, my family will lose the bakery." This was all true. My reasons, besides being with her, were why it was important for me to stay. "District 12 might not be much, but that doesn't mean I want to be sent elsewhere, I want to stay home. I like to work at the bakery and I'm good at it, I don't know what I'll be forced to do somewhere else." I said and she seemed to be listening.

"I understand," she said simply, I looked at her, her glare had softened slightly. "But what does that have to do with me? Why don't you marry your girlfriend or one of your friends?" she said with a scowl on her face. What did she mean by _my girlfriend? _

"Because I don't want to get married." This was the entire point I was getting to.

"What? I thought you just said-"she started to say and looked confused.

"I need to get married, I just don't want to." She was interested now. I could see it on her face. "I don't think this is fair, and I wish I wasn't forced to do this. I can't just hand my life over to them and be happy about it. I have to try, there has to be something else to life than just abiding by the Capitol's rules." These words were taking a toll on her and for a moment I was glad we were alone, this kind of talk would surely get me into trouble if anyone else heard it. "If I married anyone else they would expect me to be a husband to them and that is not what I'm after. I'm after someone who might be interested in entering a partnership not a marriage." I hoped I was making sense.

"Why me? You could have talked to anyone else." She said less indifferent than before.

"Because you're _you,_ Katniss," for a second I'd lost my grip on what I was supposed to be saying. I recovered as quickly as possible "You hunt, you're not afraid of doing something illegal to help your family. You're the bravest girl on 12," I hoped she didn't notice my tone, it was full of admiration and affection. I looked down so I didn't see her reaction; I stared at a dandelion next to my feet. She took a long time to talk but I thought she wanted to say something.

"What would it be like, if I said yes?" I almost gasped at that. I pulled myself together. She was actually _considering _it.

"We'd get married and not be reaped. We would move into the house they'll assign to us and then we'll do exactly what we do right now. I'll work at the bakery as usual and you can do whatever you want with your time." Her stoic attitude had been lost somewhere along our conversation. She didn't look indifferent anymore, on the contrary, she seemed to be considering it and she seemed anxious. Her hands balled up into fists and I wondered if she had done that to stop them from shaking. "We'll do enough to not attract the peacekeeper's attention to us, and they'll have to leave us alone. We'll be doing what they ask." I said and her brow furrowed.

"That sounds all very nice," her sarcasm was evident "What about the quota? They'll eventually notice I'm not having children." This was her major concern, I could see that now. Why was that? People didn't think twice about having children and filling their quota. Only after you'd had the three children required by the Capitol they left you alone and didn't bother you until it was time for your children's reaping. I guess I understood it now.

"Do you know Haymitch Abernathy?" I asked and her wandering gaze focused on me.

"The drunk?" she said and I nodded. He was a drunk, I couldn't do anything about that, but there was also something else.

"He never had children or got reaped. Maybe he knows what we can do. There are always ways to find time." I wasn't lying, many people stalled. No one paid much attention to District 12, least of all the Capitol. So as long as you kept your head down, the peacekeepers didn't make a fuss about the quota. As long as they didn't suspect you weren't trying. "We can stay safe, as long as they think we're playing by their rules." I said and she nodded wistfully. It was all a matter of not being overtly rebellious. You had to be smarter than them. Then again, there was something I needed to be clear about with her, just in case the plan didn't work. "I want to be honest with you, Katniss. I have to tell you the truth and I can't promise we won't be forced to have children, but I can promise everything that falls within my control." She had been looking away, apparently to nowhere in particular. I realized she was looking towards her home's direction. "I promise I'll do everything I can to give you and myself a chance. I need to know I did everything I could to protect my family." Her gaze turned to my face. Her expression had softened somehow.

"How could I even begin to trust you?" her voice was softer too. For a split second I felt myself soaring, I controlled my expression as I had before. I didn't want to grin widely and look deranged when she was finally considering what I had to say.

"You can trust me." I said simply "but I know you won't believe me. Honestly, you can't know if I'm trustworthy, you'll just have to take a chance." This was the truth, or so I hoped. I would never to anything to harm her. Never, she just couldn't know this.

"I don't really have a choice." She wasn't anxious anymore. She wasn't indifferent. She sounded tired, it was obvious she had thought about this for a long time. I looked at her intently thinking of a way to comfort her and feeling entirely at loss when I knew I wouldn't be able to do that. Not yet anyhow.

"You do." I said and I stood up. "You can do whatever you want. I only wanted you to know that you also have this option." She stared at me for a long time. So long that I blushed and I was about to say something just to break the tension. She beat me to it.

"Do I have to decide now?" she said her voice just above a whisper.

"No." I said, her answer had taken the breath out of me. Now I knew, she was really going to consider it. Then I remembered we only had a week left. "How much time do you need?" she looked at me, irritation back on her beautiful features. "I don't mean to pressure you but since we only have a week left." I said and she took this into consideration.

"I trade with your father on Thursdays, I will talk to you then." I nodded. I knew it would feel eternal to wait until Thursday but it was much better than a quick and most likely painful no.

"I'll be at the bakery." I said and she stood up her hands in her jacket's pockets. She nodded in my direction and looked like she wanted to say something else. Instead, she turned and left.

I sat in the meadow and watched walk away until she was no longer visible. It was almost the middle of spring but there were still cool nights, like tonight. Beautiful evenings, wonderful nights when Katniss Everdeen was considering my proposal. I'd talked to her, I'd actually talked to her and I hadn't made a fool of myself. I had said my piece and now she was considering marrying me. I grinned idiotically, as wide as I was able. Katniss Everdeen was thinking about me right now, I was sure of it. I may have not known if she was thinking kindly of me or if I was just going to be another person in her life that told her what to do. It didn't matter, she was thinking of me and I thought I deserved to leave the Seam with that happy thought on mind. I wouldn't even let myself doubt what I had said and how I had said it. I would not linger on every phrase or every one of her expressions, I was just going to dwell on the fact that she was _thinking _about it.

My grin didn't fade as I went back to town. It didn't falter when I went upstairs to my room and my mom yelled asking for my whereabouts, I lied easily and got to bed. Eighteen years of dread had finished tonight; I had finally talked to her. I had finally said something to the girl I loved and she would ask for me on Thursday. How could I have stopped smiling then, even if I wanted to?

I fell asleep thinking about her and sure enough Katniss Everdeen was the main focus of my dreams that night.

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**What do you think? If you liked it or not, I'd love to hear from you. I have a lot of stuff written already so I'll be posting often. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Doubt

**I just realized I won't be able to update later this week, so now you get a super quick and very long update. Thanks for following and reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. **

**For this chapter I'll alternate between Katniss and Peeta. **

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**Katniss**

My fingers relaxed and the wood from the arrow flew away from me and reached its intended target. The squirrel fell easily from the branch where it had been standing alive seconds ago. I didn't even have time to enjoy my small victory, it had been a tricky shot but all I was concerned about-and had been for the past couple of days- was the boy's stupid proposal.

I walked up to retrieve my kill and pulled the arrow from the squirrel's carcass with a little more force than what I'd meant. He just made me so mad. Before he had knocked on my door I had made peace with what was to come. I knew I would have to leave and as painful as it was I had made arrangements so that Prim and my mother would be taken care of. Now, knowing that there was an alternative, how could I let go that easily?

I would die for Prim, no questions asked. If I ever found myself in that position, I knew I would be able to take her place and face death willingly if I was certain if it was for her own good. But marrying someone? Having children? How could I do that? It only meant that my children would have to suffer from witnessing their mother being with a man she could never love and then before they knew it, their entire lives would be taken from them. Just like mine was right now.

The boy's proposal was so tempting, though. In case he meant what he had promised that is and he saw me as nothing more than a business partner. And how could I know he wasn't lying? I didn't even know him. A part of me rebelled. I knew better, I may not have known much about the boy but I knew enough to know that he was telling the truth. I knew that deep down, he was _good__. _At least he had been that horrible day.

Another reason to accept was that I would be able to stay home. I looked around at the woods surrounding me. I closed my eyes as I felt the dim rays of sunlight that had managed to elude the shield made by the leafs and reached my skin, I inhaled the scent of my favorite place. The wood, the dirt, the trees, the smell of home. On my bitter moments I hated the Capitol not only for taking my decisions away from me, but also for taking this place and everything in it away from me. If I was reaped I would be taken to another District. I'd never been outside of 12 but I knew that the other Districts were different; and even if there was a forest where I went, they'd never be my woods, my father's woods. I loved to believe that if my father was still alive he would help me fix this, but this was a lie. Even my father had to face his reaping in his own time, only he was fortunate enough to marry willingly.

I knew what I wanted. If I was honest with myself, I knew that I was all for staying with my family and in the woods. Even if it meant having to marry _him,_ the boy. It felt like a compromise, I may not be able to choose _what_ happened to me, but I would be able to choose _how _things happened. I would be able to stay who I was, with some minor changes. All I had to do was say yes.

My real reticence stemmed from a different nature. Why did it have to be _him?_ Of all people. Why did he always seem to appear in my life when I needed him the most? I didn't like that. I already owed him enough without the whole proposal thing. I didn't like to be bound in such way to another person that was why I always paid my debts. He'd saved me that first time and then, out of nowhere he was in my front yard asking me to marry him so we could both be happy. The worst part was that I thought I could be, for the first time in months, as the reaping approached, I felt, hopeful. He gave me hope.

And I had so many questions. I didn't know if I could voice them.

I hid my bow in its usual hiding spot and headed to town. It was Thursday after all.

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**Peeta**

My bliss over her choice to consider my proposal had lasted exactly 45 minutes. The excitement I felt died quickly when I thought about a simple truth that had eluded my consciousness until I had the courage to face her: If Katniss said no, I would understand and probably be consumed with self pity and misery all the way to the Capitol where I would lose my family, my home and her. I had considered that option so many times that it did little to lessen my current enthusiasm. The source of my anguish was simple, what would happen if she said yes?

I was in love with her. This was a certainty so strong in me that I'd never began to doubt it. I had loved her for so long that I didn't even remember what it was like to not be thinking about her constantly and longingly. I had watched her all my life and I had been fascinated all the while. I only associated love with Katniss. And when I saw her, I felt _in_ love, every time. However, when I asked her to marry me I had promised a false marriage. She would most certainly keep to her end of the deal, but, would I be able to keep mine?

I was pretty certain she didn't know I loved her. Nobody did. Except for maybe my father who noticed how I looked up every time she came to trade. So what would I do if we were suddenly stuck in the same house and I saw her every day and every night? I had the slightest inclination that Katniss was not of a really romantic disposition. In fact, I thought she was the exact opposite. She kept away from everybody, didn't she? And I knew it wasn't because she was unpleasant or unkind, she kept to herself because she _wanted _to. If she didn't have more friends than necessary, why would she want a husband? I tortured myself with such thoughts for the rest of the week. I wasn't fun to be around that week.

My father left me alone, my mother yelled at me like she always did. Pressuring me more and more every day we got closer to Sunday. Talking spite of me and my brother Miche. He'd been reaped three years ago and my mother resented him for it. Not because she missed him or because she was worried of his well being, but because Miche had embarrassed her. According to her, my family was the talk of the District, a Mellark had been reaped and so the family's reputation had been tainted. We'd had five minutes to say goodbye when he left, and all that time she keep a constant babble of how Miche had just affected the entire family and me. Mostly me. She said that now I had a reaped brother, I was less desirable to merchant families. Why she had made that connection I never knew and I never cared, I never took much interest in merchant girls. I could almost hear the screaming of what she would say if Katniss and I married. My mother would hate my choice and I found that I really liked it. I must be doing something right if she didn't agree with me.

My father was not an impatient man. We were very similar that way. Even before Miche had gone and Rye had gotten married, he had told me in confidence that he hoped that of all his sons, I would keep the bakery, because I seemed to enjoy it so much. I knew my father was proud of me, in more ways than one. I would hate to leave him behind if I was reaped. Another thing to be concerned about. I couldn't be so selfish, if Katniss said no, what would I do? Who else would I marry? If I was reaped my father would be left behind and the Bakery would end up being someone else's. I knew that would break his heart.

These were stressful days, undoubtedly. And just when I had thought my stress had peaked and I could not be more anxious about the entire matter, Thursday came.

I'd woken up even earlier than usual. I'd had a sleepless night and there was no point in staying awake in bed to wait for the sunrise. At least if I worked I would be able to distract myself for a while. Until it was ten, when Katniss usually came to the bakery. I didn't even have breakfast, I was just so eager to start working. My eyes kept going back to the clock we had above the oven from the moment the arm reached 9:30. I couldn't help myself. Luckily since I had woken up so early I had done most of my chores so my distraction wasn't really affecting my performance. I knew I was being unreasonable, Katniss was never here earlier than ten I just kept fretting over what she might answer.

In between restless slumbers, I had decided that whatever happened, the worst possible outcome would be if she said no. It was easier to concentrate on just one terrible outcome instead of being torn between two. I'd decided that if she said yes, I would find a way to keep my feelings to myself and let her be. It was the only reason she would marry me, because I would let her be. I had promised her this and I had to keep my word.

9:55- My dad had finally noticed the stress in my every move, my distraction and anxiety when I dropped a rolling pin and a small sack of flour. I never made mistakes like these. He didn't say anything, he continued to dispatch customers and whenever he had time he helped me clean up before mother noticed. He gave me a questioning look but I had already decided not to say something. If she said no, it was better if no one knew it. For my sake.

10:01-I was already writhing with unease when I suddenly imagined that this wait would last forever because she would never come. She would not show up, not answer me at all and I would be reaped on Sunday. I had to stop thinking about that, repeating to myself that Katniss would never do that, she kept to her word. She was honorable, not a person in District 12 could say otherwise.

10:09-But what if she didn't? What if she hadn't taken our arrangement seriously to the point where it wasn't really breaking a promise a deal she had made because she felt it didn't matter.

10:11-How could I expect to matter to her? We'd only seen each other twice and from those two times we had spoken once. Once in eighteen years. We knew each other's address and we had only spoken once.

10:21-She wouldn't come. It was time to face this awful truth. Way worse than if she had rejected me to my face, I'd thought that was the worse that could happen to me. Now I knew better. Her indifference was worse. I blamed myself I'd waited to long and put her on the spot now I would be reaped and-

"Peeta?" my father asked, touching my shoulder. I was almost certain he was up front talking to a customer. "Did you hear what I said?" had he spoken?

"What?" I said feeling foolish and disoriented.

"Katniss is at the back door, she asked to see you." Had I made her wait? For how long? I didn't meet my father's gaze as I turned around, a glance from the clock told me it was 10:25, and I went through the back door.

* * *

**Katniss**

I was at the bakery later than usual. I'd been stalling, I knew that. My awkwardness grew with every step, I just wasn't sure why. I felt like my stomach was doing a backflip when I stretched my hand out to knock on the back door. I'd made sure that Peeta's mother wasn't there before knocking. Mr. Mellark had always said that on Thursdays it was safe to come before noon, she was always at the shops at that time. Most likely getting fresh gossip.

I knocked two times and my heart pounded on my chest when I heard footsteps. I was so nervous I wasn't able to determine if they belonged to Mr. Mellark or his son. When the door opened and it was Mr. Mellark, I started breathing again. I wasn't aware I had stopped.

"Good morning, Mr. Mellark." I said and the man smiled easily. His son looked so much like him, but the baker's features were rougher with age.

"Good morning, Katniss, do you have something for me?" I nodded and clumsily removed the two squirrels I'd managed to catch out of my gamebag.

"These look great, as usual. They're so plump!" I had come here so many times, and every time he had some compliment to offer me with every trade. "I got something for you!" he said and retrieved a bag with my usual payment. By the way he said it, you'd think he was giving me a present.

"Thank you," I said and put away the bread. He was always very generous. He gave me a smile and slowly began to close the door. I almost yelled when I stopped him. "Um, Mr. Mellark!" It was very awkward for me when I had to change my usual routine.

"Yes? Did I forget something, dear?" He asked with concern.

"No, you didn't, sir. I was wondering if I could speak to Peeta for a moment?" I blushed so deeply after I said it. Not because of what I'd said, but because his eyes glinted with recognition and I wondered if Peeta had said anything to him. He smiled warmly.

"He's in the back, I'll get him for you." I nodded with a small smile and he disappeared. I sighed. My behavior was absurd. Trying to calm myself down, I leaned on the wall that belonged to the shop next to the bakery. We always traded in the secluded alley in the back. I looked around, I saw their trash cans, and I made out the beginning of their backyard. Where their apple tree was.

"Hello." I heard Peeta's soft voice and came back from my somber thoughts. He wore a white shirt and an apron. There were stains of flower in several parts of his face, his forearms too. He'd clearly wiped his hands hastily. He looked expectant, scared even of what I was about to say. I wondered how to go about it, but I had no patience to be anything but direct.

"Before I answer, what will happen to you, if I say no?" I wanted to know. Regardless of my answer I wanted to know he had thought of it. If he had, maybe he was serious about his offer. Maybe it would make it easier to make sure of my decision. His expression fell and his bright blue eyes darkened slightly. He looked very disappointed.

"I'll probably be reaped." His voice sounded deeper when he said that. Surely if he had just thought marrying would solve his issues, he would find someone else to do it. His reaction settled it for me. He hadn't been angry, he hadn't threatened me, he hadn't blackmailed me or any of the many things I've seen people do when they don't get their way. Maybe I was right, maybe I could trust him. And maybe somewhere along the way I would be able to thank him for what he'd done that day.

"I'll do it." I said as firmly as I could. The change in his expression was immediate. He was beaming, and his smile was so wide that I almost smiled along with him. He was as happy as I was when I realized I would get to stay home.

"You will?" He sounded like Prim when I told her I'd do something unexpected, like that time when I let her put ribbons on my hair even though I hate them. It was alike in the giddiness brought on by the unexpected surprise, and the wide blue pleading eyes.

"Yes, I just said I would." That came out harsher than I meant. But this boy seemed to have that effect on me, he softened me easily and I wasn't fond of that feeling. I needed to make sure he would keep to his end of the trade. I needed him to know I wasn't just messing around. "We need to talk about some things, though." Why was he still smiling?

"Sure, anything you need." His response was too quick. He took a moment to straighten his features to look more composed. I almost smiled again. I couldn't talk to him here, what if his mother came earlier than planned?

"When can I see you?" My question seemed extremely bizarre to him, I wonder what was going through his head for him to look so confused.

"I'll be out at four so after that whatever you choose is fine," That was weird, I always thought bakers worked until seven at least. "Where should we meet?" My house seemed like a good idea. I could intercept him on the way to the Seam, my mother and Prim didn't need to know about him.

"After four is fine. Come to my house and we'll go somewhere then." This was becoming far too real. Suddenly I didn't want to be here anymore.

"All right." He was still too happy. I turned around, maybe when he came over I could take him to the meadow. There was also an abandoned shack by the mines that a lot of people used to have some private time. Maybe not to talk, but it was still pretty private. But it would have to be before the miners came out at five. Otherwise they might see. I would really need him to be at my house before that. I turned to him before I left.

"Don't be late." I sounded really bossy, but it was always better to seem harsh. People rarely messed with you if you sounded mean. I walked faster, I still had to stop by the Hob if I had any hopes of getting Prim new shoes.

"I won't." I heard him in the background. I didn't say goodbye but when I turned to do it, he was gone. I made my way through town, returning to my usual routine put the baker's son out of my head in no time.

* * *

**Peeta**

She'd said yes. The simple thought of it, and my stomach stirred with delight. I worked faster and much better than before. If I wanted to leave two hours early I had to get things done ahead of schedule so my father wouldn't be too busy without me. When I got hungry, I didn't stop. I worked and ate, careful not to make a mess. My mother walked by the kitchen a couple of times, but left quickly without saying a word. It would have surprised me but the way she yelled at me last night had made it clear that she wouldn't be speaking to me again until I got married. If I got reaped, I seriously doubted she would go to say good bye. All the more reason to not tell her anything.

My father returned to the kitchen a couple of times afterwards, and I knew he was hoping I would say something. I didn't. The moment I told my father I would not be able to keep it from my mother and I didn't want that. He would tell her for sure, not out of malice but out of sheer excitement. Of all the people involved with what was about to happen I knew he would be the only one genuinely happy about it. At least from my side of the family.

It was around two when my dad came in the kitchen again, he stared at me with a smile on his face and I couldn't understand what he was smiling about until I became aware of my whistling.

"You sure seem happy, son." He said and I knew just how much my happiness fulfilled him.

"I am." I said and he waited for me to add something else. I just couldn't say it right now. "Dad, would you mind it if I left at four today? I have somewhere I need to be at that time. I'm already doing my chores from the afternoon to make up for it." I said defensively, his easy grin told me I didn't have to do all of that. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Of course you can, son. Your mother is at the butcher's having tea with his wife so that won't be a problem. You can leave at three thirty if you want, It will give you time to shower and change." He gave me a cheeky smile before turning and leaving. He suspected something, that much was clear and I was pretty certain he was thrilled.

When it was three thirty my dad came in the kitchen and told me I could leave, he winked at me and I pretended I didn't notice the knowing undertone to his every action. I showered and changed as he had suggested. I took my time, whenever my mom was not in the house to rush everyone we could take a little more time doing everything. It was ten to four when I finished eating an apple and started walking towards Katniss' house. I knew it was pathetic but it overjoyed me just to be heading to her house knowing she was waiting for me.

The Seam was entirely different at daytime, like most things were. The poverty in this side of the District was more evident than at night, when the smaller flaws were concealed. I realized that the sunlight made the Meadow she had taken me to visible from a greater distance, and I was glad to see it was just as beautiful at daytime. That would always be the place where I first spoke to her. There were kids running around in it, others in the roads. Women moving around their homes, attending to their daily chores and the sounds of the mine echoing through the small houses. With daylight, it was even more visible that Katniss' house was better taken care of than other houses where there were visible holes in the ceiling, barely patched up and trash on the gardens. Her house was neat and taken care of. There were even two rows of flowers next to the two steps that led to her tiny porch that I hadn't noticed before. Even as ragged as it was, her house was evidently a _home _not just a building where people lived.

When I reached the gate of her house the door opened. Katniss stood before me, leaning against the side of the door. She was wearing pants and a shirt and her sleeves were rolled up so her forearms were exposed. I waited, thinking she would be taking me somewhere else soon. When she didn't move, I walked in the gate. "A woman's giving birth at the edge of town, my mother and Prim went to help her so you can come in." she said and I nodded. The goat looked skinnier than she'd looked last night but it seemed glad to be there eating her small patches of grass. Katniss went in the house and I followed.

It was smaller than I had thought. They had a love seat and a small table in front of it. A small fireplace and a television on the side of the room, pushed to the corner, it seemed no one ever used it. There was a small dining room table with five chairs and a half a wall that divided the small space that was the kitchen and the living room. It was a plain room at first sight, but if you looked closely you'd find small details that gave me the impression I'd had from the outside of the house. On the fireplace there was a row of neatly arranged pictures, some of Katniss' mom when she was younger, one of Katniss and Prim as little girls and the biggest one, a picture of Katniss' father. I'd seen him twice when I was a boy but I had forgotten his face. There was a soft worn out tablecloth with a flower pattern on the small dining room. A large tin can was used as a vase on the dining table. It was full of dandelions. There was neatly cut wood on the fireplace. Details here and there, they made the bleak room really cozy.

Katniss was in the kitchen, the half wall allowing me to see her as she took a sharp and small knife and started cleaning a fish. Where on earth had she gotten it from? I was pretty certain that District 4 was the only place where you could get fish this time of the year. Her hands moved quickly and with precision, it was obvious she had done every cut a hundred times. She looked as adept doing that than what I must look like when I baked. I leaned on half the wall and watched her for a moment.

"Katniss," it was still a treat for me to be able to say her name "I was wondering, were you planning on telling your mother about us?" I said and she didn't raise her eyes from what she was doing.

"Why would I do that?" she said coolly.

"I just don't want her to be offended," I said simply. She finished cleaning the fish and threw it in a pot. She continued with another one. "I wanted to ask you if you think she might be offended if we get married and she hasn't even met me before." I said trying to make myself clear "its just to keep up appearances, of course." Not really. Fake marriage or not, it was important for me to be on good terms with her mother and sister. I didn't worry about Prim, she was so easygoing I didn't doubt I could be friends with her, her mother was another matter entirely.

"Don't worry about my mother, I'll handle her." She said dismissively. "About pretending, I needed to talk to you about that." She said simply, still mostly focused on her task. I wondered if I should offer my help and quickly decided against it. If she hadn't asked for it I wouldn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. "I think we should talk about what being married will entail, just so that we're on the same page." She said still not looking at me.

"That's a good idea." I wondered what she meant by that. Nevertheless, she was talking now so I didn't want to interrupt her.

"And also, I needed to leave something clear." She left the knife on the table, the fish on the sink. She turned around me as she said this so I gave her my entire attention as she spoke. "My mother and Prim can't know about this." I must have looked confused because she clarified "they can't know this is fake. I don't want them to be in any danger if something goes wrong, so they have to think we're doing everything normally." Of course she would be concerned about her family above all. It didn't even surprise me how fierce she sounded as she spoke. This was the only way Katniss could be, passionate and fiercely protective of her family.

"I'll do anything to keep them from being in harm's way." I said sternly and she evaluated my resolve. Katniss' presence always made me anxious, but now that I knew I would not lose her and that she would marry me I didn't have to be stressed and miserable. I only had to control my yearning to reach out and touch her face or her hand. My stomach jumping whenever she looked at me was also a mild discomfort that didn't compare to my nervousness from before. It was easier to seem confident about what I felt so strongly when I wasn't shivering. I was glad I would be able to show this to her. She seemed to believe me, she continued to work with the fish. As she gutted the animal in her hands I realized she wasn't squeamish at all. I smiled slightly, getting to know little things like this was enlivening.

"Then aside from them, who do we have to convince?" she asked and I thought about it.

"Anyone we know really, most importantly, the peacekeepers. When we get married we'll be assigned to a home in a certain area. The areas in the District are equally distributed among the peacekeepers that will be checking on us from the moment we sign the papers, looking for any anomaly," I said remembering all I had found out about when I decided to marry Katniss. This was important for the both of us, I'd known that even back then. "If they find something they report back to a head peacekeeper that will evaluate the case by himself. If he thinks the first assessment was correct, he will go to the next in command and follow with protocol." I knew she was listening intently as I spoke "in the meantime, the couple is supervised closely. If the person in charge of representing the District considers the partnership to be problematic, they send a specialist from the Capitol to make an assessment. Worst case scenario, the partnership is dissolved and the couple is sent to the Capitol." She turned to me with an alarmed look on her face.

"They can do that?" she asked and I realized with remorse that I was alarming her.

"Yes, but it's very rare and for extreme cases only," I said and she didn't look appeased "the last couple dissolved from District 12 was the Donner's, he and his wife were dissolved because they never got along. They were yelling at each other even as they signed their papers at the Justice Building. When they finally moved in together he used to beat her so badly that she eventually turned to drink and became aggressive. They fought more and when she was pregnant with their first child she had a miscarriage because he got so mad to find her drunk that she beat her until she passed out." It was not a pretty picture, I grimaced as I told the story. Katniss seemed unmoved. "That was the reason why they dissolved the union ultimately. He was sent to District five and she was sent to the Capitol. They hoped that the medicine there would help her be able to have children again." I said knowing it would never come to this between us. I could never do anything to Katniss and she was too strong to stand such treatment.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked as she finished the last fish.

"My father told me. They were about the same age, your mother surely must have heard from them." I said and she opened a small pouch and began extracting plants from it. Leaving them on the sink. They all looked alike to me but I doubted they were. I was not too good at distinguishing a plant from another. Unless I knew beforehand what they were or they were too familiar. If I went to the woods like Katniss did I probably wouldn't distinguish an edible berry from a poisonous one. "What are those for?" I asked, not able to control my curiosity anymore.

"My mother asks me to bring certain plants, they're mostly medicinal for her patients." She answered softly and then she started washing them carefully.

"So we need to convince the peacekeepers in charge of us so they leave us alone." She said, clearly inciting me to go on.

"Yes. If we seem suitable for each other during the first month trial without a complaint from the peacekeeper, we will be categorized as non-problematic. In that case the next trial period will be reduced to every two months. If we pass that, we'll continue on the same category and for the next six months we'll only have to see the peacekeeper three times before we get the first year's clearance. Once we get that they'll mostly leave us alone until the first year's revision for the fulfillment of the quota. That buys you a year free of peacekeepers" Her expression never wavered, and I got the pleasure of looking at her freely as I spoke and she separated the leaves and worked in silence. She looked peaceful but I knew she must have been thinking about what I was saying. Her braid was over her left shoulder, a rebellious strand of hair falling over her eye. I wanted to go to her and tuck it behind her ear. I knew better.

"How long will it be before we get in trouble for not having children?" she asks and I remember what I know about it.

"Two years at most. Time begins to tighten so if we don't figure out how to not have children by the second year, and we will," I added confidently "we'll become problematic and all the process I've explained to you will begin again." I said and she nodded. Her brow furrowed.

"Where did you learn all of this?" she asked, looking at me again. Sure enough, my stomach flipped a little.

"I became interested when my brother Miche got reaped. After that I knew I had to know what I was facing. I needed to be ready for my own reaping," her expression softened for a second, she looked down again.

"I'm sorry about your brother." I gave her a sad smile. "Are you going to tell your family?" she said without looking at me, I couldn't help to smile.

"No, I think I'll wait until Sunday for them to find out on their own. My mother is not speaking to me at the moment because I'm not married, so why spoil that?" I said grinning widely, she gave me a confused look.

"I don't mean to offend you or anything, but its best if you know," she said and I was immediately alert. "I really don't like your mother." She said this last part looking at me. I was so relieved that I couldn't hide it. I laughed out loud.

"Don't worry, Katniss, that is not an unpopular opinion about her." I said and she seemed comfortable with my assessment of her dislike towards my mother. "I can safely say that we won't spend time with her unless it is absolutely necessary." She seemed to agree entirely with my last comment.

"When we live together," she said this with a strain in her voice. It was so different from what I was feeling right now. I felt almost giddy with excitement. "Prim can come whenever she wants," she said seriously and I smiled at her.

"Of course she can, she's your sister." I said amiably.

"And I can hunt whenever I want." I never would have done anything to stop her. I was more than glad to be able to meet her every demand.

"I don't think that my father or the rest of the District for that matter, would appreciate it if you stopped hunting." She looked at me, a strange expression in her face I hadn't seen before, something between disbelief, suspicion and plain curiosity.

"I don't want a toasting." I controlled my expression, but I wasn't surprised.

"We'll just sign the papers at the Justice Building, that's enough." She seemed mildly surprised at this.

"Don't you think it will raise suspicion?" she said as if she had suspected as much.

"I don't. Not all couples have a toasting." I said and dreamed of a day when she would _want _to marry me and have a toasting with our families and closest friends present. Not that I was complaining, any life with her was better than any life without her. "If anyone asks, we can say we had a private one. Just the two of us." She nodded as if this seemed reasonable to her. I was glad I made sense to her. In the meantime, I dreamed of what a private toasting with Katniss would be like.

She had put every plant on a tray and she had brought it back to the table. She was done washing them. I guess she would sort them now. There was a ball of thread in the table I had not noticed before. I was usually very observant, Katniss was more of a distraction that I had thought before. I'd had enough of just watching.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" I said and she gave me a confused look. Then she took a handful of one of the leaves and took some thread. She sat down in front of the tray and then gestured for me to sit next to her. I obeyed quickly.

"You have to wrap the thread around the plants as tightly as possible. You make three rings around them, like this," she did what she was explaining "and you make a small knot at the side like this." She handed me a bunch of leaves and a single thread. Her eyes on me were as unnerving as ever, so it was a miracle when I did her complicated knot in my first try. I showed it to her, she evaluated my work and nodded. She handed me the next handful of leaves.

"Why are we tying them up?" I asked again, and she explained in a soft tone.

"Its easier to handle different kinds of leaves that looked the same if they are separated from the moment I pick them. If we tie them up like this, they are easier to know which one is what. That's important when you're dealing with medicinal plants. It's tricky to get the right combination for a specific ailment." I didn't know what was more distracting. He voice, so close to me that it made me tremble, or her arm brushing against mine every time she moved it. She could have been explaining anything to me, I would have been as absorbed as I was now. "How are we going to convince anyone that we _wanted _to get married?" her question was so abrupt and out of the subject we had discussed I was startled for a second. She had also turned to see me and was staring at me as she asked this, so it only dazed me further.

"What do you mean?" I asked, only to make time. I already knew what I could do to convince them. It was pretty obvious I wanted to marry her.

"We'd never talked before. And now we _wanted _to get married? How is that possible?" this was very true. Only I couldn't tell her the truth, not quite. She might change her mind.

"We should make something up." I said, trying to stop her from explaining. "A back story people might believe." Katniss' brow furrowed.

"Like what? I'm not good at lying." I believed that.

"It's easier to lie if we simply stretch some facts and we exaggerate them." I said and I hoped she didn't think I lied often.

"What facts?" she was right, there wasn't much to go on.

"Like the fact that you trade with my father. We wouldn't say that you traded with him, that's obvious, but we could say that we saw each other often because you came to the bakery. A lot of people come to the bakery; you could have been one of those people." She didn't seem convinced but she didn't rebuff my suggestions.

"I could have seen you at the train station, too." She said simply and now it was my turn to look confused. "There's a woman at the justice building that really likes almonds. So I go there to trade whenever I find some. I'd see you and your brothers when you picked up the supplies for the bakery." She said this casually as if this was the most normal thing in the world. To her it probably was, but to me it was a striking revelation. She'd noticed me before.

"See," I tried to keep my mood unaltered "we can figure something out." She didn't seem convinced but she didn't seem as pessimistic as before. We continued talking about that, until the dinning room started getting dark and she got up to light a few candles and an oil lamp. There had been more leaves than I thought.

We settled on telling people that we'd been around each other's lives from a very long time. Just that we didn't have time to talk properly, a stretch but it could happen. It did. And with the reaping looming on the horizon, we started to see each other more often, a lie easier to hold since we had been out of school for the past six months, and we'd finally decided to get married. I thought it was a good enough explanation and although Katniss didn't seem as thrilled as I was she seemed satisfied.

"It's getting late, do you think you'll mother will be back soon?" I told her, I was seated next to her she had retrieved a bag from upstairs and was placing the small bundles we'd made inside.

"Perhaps. You can't really tell with a woman in labor. They can take minutes, hours or days, easily." She said dismissively. "When are we getting married?" she said looking at me. She had a way of startling me with her gaze whenever I least expected it. I had learned from our exchange today.

"I'll have Saturday off." I said, thinking that there was no way I would get out of working tomorrow when I had taken two hours off today. Saturday, however, was mostly free. People worked half days or closed shop completely a day before the reaping. It was the one weekend we got completely off.

"We should go in the morning, there will be less people there." She left the bag on the dining room and walked to the couch. Apparently she was going to stop doing _something _finally. I took a chair and sat across from her, I didn't feel like she would appreciate it if I sat next to her. I tried to think of something else, like where would we meet.

"I'll meet you there, by the side of the building, behind the stairs." It was a good place, hidden from view. She nodded, she'd appreciate the anonymity it would give us. Now that there were no distractions in front of her, no plants or fish or anything at all, I could see what she had been holding back this entire time. She looked as impervious as ever, but the tiredness I had seen in her the day I asked her to marry me was still there. There was a large burden on her small shoulders, that was clear, and she was experiencing the consequences of carrying that burden by herself. She looked so small in her small couch, so impossibly fragile. It made me uneasy to feel she was under any discomfort.

"Katniss, are you ok?" the relaxed stance she had managed disappeared, her eyes tightened quickly.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she said coolly and I knew better than to ask.

"Just curious." I got up and returned the chair to the table. "I should go now." She only nodded. "I'll see you on Saturday." I said and she stood up to walk me to the door. She didn't speak, she just rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. I wanted to take her shoulders in my hands and ease the tension, or at least hold her in my arms and tell her we would be fine. Instead I settled for just stopping before I left and turned to her. "Katniss, whatever happens," I said and she looked at me warily "We're together in this, we're allies." Her expression didn't waver. "We'll make it work." I smiled weakly before I left, not knowing if she had accepted my weak attempt of comforting her.

Saturday could not come fast enough.

* * *

**So there you have it. It's long but I hope you liked it. I have the next chapter ready, so I'll update it as soon as possible. I'm always glad to know what you think!**

**Coming up: Saturday.**


	3. Saturday

**I'm back! I'm really happy you guys are liking this story and I appreciate the follows and Favs! Thank you so much. **

**That being said, I just wanted you to know that I take your opinion into consideration about what comes next, so feel free to let me know what's on your mind about the story. **

* * *

"And we will have to endure the shame once more of having a child being reaped because he couldn't find someone suitable in eighteen years!" my mother rambled on while I had breakfast. I had been unfortunate enough to run into her while sneaking out of my room to eat something before going to the Justice Building. Today, anyone eligible for the reaping was exempt from any from their chores. They really loved to give you one last chance to panic and marry the first person you saw in the street.

My mother had been pestering me since my birthday. After my brother Miche got reaped two years ago I'd heard her complaints nonstop. Miche had been reckless, everyone knew that. He had been with the same girlfriend since they were fourteen and everyone expected them to marry but unfortunately, they got into a big fight the year of their reaping and days before the reaping rumor started that she had already married another guy. Miche didn't even try to confront her about it or ask, so he was reaped. To his surprise, so was she. It was weird to see them getting in the train together, knowing they were headed to the Capitol where they would be assigned to different partners. He didn't admit it but it was obvious he still loved her. And so did she.

Instead of feeling bad for my brother's fate, my mother had only used it as a cautionary tale and had constantly complained about Miche from the moment his name was called. She had nothing but insults to say about him for weeks to come, so at some point we stopped mentioning him. I missed him and I think I would've liked to talk about it, but we acted like he was dead. So it was clear that my mother would be concerned with my unwed status just a day away from the reaping.

"Enough, Eudora, let the boy be! It's his day off." My father rarely stopped my mother when she began one of her rants, I was certain it was because if he spoke up, her vile would be directed at him instead. I'd resented him for it when I was younger, until I realized that while my brothers and I would eventually leave, he was stuck with her forever. In those days, it was a lot easier to serve as a shield from her. My dad turned on the kettle and made some tea. He was the only one that knew that I had been speaking to Katniss lately, I assumed that when I left on Thursday afternoon he knew where I was headed. He gave me a certain look, like we were both conspirators against my mother and that pleased him deeply. And although I knew he was dying for me to confirm his suspicions, I didn't say anything. Maybe today, after the Justice Building. I finished my breakfast, I wasn't hungry but it was never good to leave the house with an empty stomach.

"And where do you think you're going?" yelled my mother with a shrill of a voice and a glare that attempted to take the life out of me as my hand held on to the doorknob.

"Out, Ty's toasting is today," my friend Ty, would be getting married today. I didn't feel like going but it was a good enough excuse. I closed the door behind me as my mother's voice got impossibly higher pitched. As my mother became an unimportant noise in the background, my mind conjured an image of Katniss once again.

My stomach squirmed and pained me, I believed in her and I trusted that she would show up, so why was I still so afraid? Maybe it was because it was Katniss, the girl of my dreams. If I had married anyone else, like my mother had suggested, I never would have cared much. It would have been a simple business transaction, just like I had promised Katniss. Instead, it was a dream come true. Not because of the circumstances, in reality I would have wanted to earn her love and trust before asking her to share her life with me, because I knew it would mean she would want me at least a fraction of how I wanted her. And she would be happy on the day of our toasting, instead of hesitant and anxious. I wouldn't have to lie to her about how much I loved her, because she would know, and she would like to hear it. I sighed deeply as the square appeared before me, the Justice Building was visible in the distance. I guessed I would have to make do with what we had and marry her and _then _earn her love and trust. I couldn't help my smile, it was so much better than living without her.

When I reached the Justice Building, I realized Katniss had been right, it was practically empty. The few people there were the Justice Building worker's waiting for the day to start and other merchants after collecting supplies at the train station. I leaned on the side of the Justice Building to avoid being spotted by any familiar faces, I waited where she'd told me to wait. I was so concerned with her not showing, that I was completely oblivious to my surroundings.

"Peeta?" her soft voice said. I hadn't even heard her coming. I looked up to her and my heart started beating faster. She was wearing a dress. I'd never seen her in a dress. Her hair was braided like she normally wore it but the soft blue dress she was wearing sweetened her entire stance. _She_ looked soft and sweet. I didn't even know she could look like that. I was used to her more rugged and imposing beauty. This new appearance was just as mesmerizing.

"Er, Katniss," I croaked and she eyed me curiously. "I mean," I cleared my throat and straightened up. "You're here!" I said with a shaky smile and she just looked at me like I was insane. Her piercing eyes had taken on a blue taint that I wish I could equal in my drawings of her.

"Of course I'm here, I said I would be," she said confidently but after my initial shock with her looks I realized something else. She looked pained, stressed and unhappy. My entire excitement fell and I couldn't remember what I had been so happy about before. She was looking towards the Justice Building so she didn't notice my expression. She stepped towards it, but when she didn't hear me following she turned to see me. "What is it, Peeta?" I leaned back on the wall as if someone had just punched me in the gut.

"I can't do this," I said simply. Realizing how true it was. If she didn't want it, if she didn't want me, what was the point in doing this? her entire expression shifted, she looked defensive.

"What are you talking about?" her voice was low but fierce. "We made a deal," her anger was evident. She thought I'd been lying.

"I know and I don't mean to change my mind," she stared at me warily "I just, I can see you _really_ don't want to do this. I can't make you, Katniss. " I said and she didn't even look shaken. I looked down, embarrassed for doing this to her.

"Of course I don't want to do this," she said "but we've established we don't really have a say in it. Now lets go before more people get here." She said and started walking, I didn't move.

"I can't. I can't be the one that does this to you." I said in a pained expression. I looked at her, she seemed angry, but there was something more there, understanding? She stepped in front of me and looked intently into my eyes.

"You're not doing anything to me. The Capitol is," she said and the passionate tone of her voice sent a shiver through my body "You said it yourself, Peeta, we both need it. I need to take care of my family and you need to take care of yours. Or do you want for your parents to have to get rid of the bakery _and_ have to endure another one of their sons being reaped?"

"No I don't." this was true. Great, now she was using my own arguments against me.

"Do you want us to stay home?" she asked me like I was a little child.

"Yes." I said.

"Then lets go." She said urgently. I didn't move at first. I wasn't looking up so I didn't see her coming, but then she cupped my face in her hands and she had all of my attention. Her voice softened as she spoke "Peeta, we're allies, aren't we?" Her hands on my face, her soft voice and her pleading voice… I doubted I could deny her anything at this point. She saw that, of course she did, so she dropped her hands from my face and gave a step back. Upon noticing my hesitation, she stretched her hand towards me. And I thought _I _played dirty. I took her hand without hesitation, and we walked towards the building together.

She didn't let go for the entire time. And since she wasn't making any effort to let go, I certainly wouldn't be the first one to do it. The way I had seen this in my head, I was almost jumping towards the happy worker that would give us our contract and I would be smiling the entire time. It was different, to say the least.

I had only been inside the Justice Building once, at Miche's reaping. As we walked down the long hall I looked back at the tall wooden door where they'd taken us that day to say goodbye and looked away quickly. Once I left I'd never had to go inside that room again. The Justice Building had a very distinct smell, it was probably the smell of the oil they to hydrate the wood. And since everything inside, from doors, desks and long wooden benches was made from wood, it was a strong smell. I imagined that everyone working in here would smell like the oil, like I smelled like bread after an entire day of working at the bakery.

Like everything in the District, the Justice Building was a small structure. It was used for reapings, marriages, registering businesses, births and deaths. It wasn't hard to find the main desk. Katniss looked around as we waited in line. There was only one couple in front of us, two kids from the Seam I had never seen before. Katniss didn't show any sign of recognition them so I assumed she didn't know who they were. Once they moved on, we faced a small balding man behind the desk.

"Next," he said in an annoyed voice that had to be the same tone he used all the time. He couldn't be so annoyed at this point, the couple ahead and us had to be the first one to arrive.

"Good morning, we're here for a marriage contract." I said steadily, Katniss stared at the man with contempt. She disliked him because he was the closest representation we had of someone from the Capitol. She'd seemed nothing but comprehensive when she said I wasn't forcing them to do this, not it was obvious she did blame the man behind the desk. The man didn't even look up to see us.

"Names." The desk in front of him had several piles of paper that looked all the same to me. In front of him, there was another piece of paper in which he was making marks with a black pen. He didn't move his eyes from his papers as he took a sheet out of one of the piles and put his pan over one of the small squares. It was some sort of form.

"Peeta Mellark," I said and he wrote it down quickly. I looked over at Katniss and she didn't move her eyes away from the man.

"Katniss Everdeen," he wrote that down too.

"You are here by impelled as the contract follows," he started reciting in a monotone voice. It was the first time I was present when a marriage contract was made but I already knew all of the words of the contract that the man was reciting. Katniss did too. They had made us read it a hundred times at school even before we had any awareness of what the words meant. Now that it affected me directly every word seemed more definite and binding.

Panem, a nation built after the perils of war, was carefully constructed not only to avoid any further complication that may result in warfare but to assure the subsistence of the existent population. Whenever there was even the slightest sign of unbalance in the number of citizens, the reaping arose. After a plague that had hunted two generations above us, and ended with almost two thirds of the population, the reaping had been reinstated. So for the next two or three generations after us, it would still exist to ensure Panem's proliferation. He explained the benefits, that were few, and the obligations like the quota we'd have to fill. "If agreed sign your names in the indicated space," he said stretching the form towards us and pointed at two boxes at the bottom of the page. I gave the pen to Katniss, she signed and managed to glower at the man at the second he raised his eyes to see us. Then she gave me the pen, I looked at her and she gave a slight nod. I signed. "Congratulations," said the man with the least festive tone I had ever heard "you are now officially married and will be overlooked at tomorrow's reaping. Welcome, happy citizens of District 12,"his voice was so saturated with boredom it sounded like he was being sarcastic. "Now take this," he said and gave me a slip of paper "and go to the next window on the left. Next!" he said and we walked towards the next window. I didn't even look back to see who was next.

"That's all?" she asked while we walked to the window the man had instructed. I knew what she meant, all of our lives waiting for this moment and it had taken less than fifteen minutes. I looked at the small piece of paper as if it concealed extraordinary properties. It seemed ordinary.

"I believe so," I said and gave it to her. Her eyes roamed at the small piece of paper. It wasn't even something new, it was our names, the speech he'd given us and our names again signed by us. It also had some sort of stamp above it. She gave it back to me like she didn't want to look at it anymore. We waited in line for the couple ahead of us. They left.

"Next!" it was a woman this time. Her voice as opposite from the man's voice before her but somehow she managed to sound almost exactly the same. I wondered if they underwent some sort of training where they learned to speak like this. We reached the window and the woman again seemed to be the opposite of the last man as she eyed us curiously. Her eyes lingered on me as she spoke. "Marriage contract," she said handing out her hand. I gave it to her and she brushed her fingers through mine, a small smile on her face. I suddenly felt uncomfortable. As she looked at the paper her attitude turned business like. "Mellark P. and Mellark K," I felt Katniss stiffening next to me. "Mellark," she said with a wide grin now. "That rings a bell," she mumbled and said "Occupation?"

"Baker," I said wishing I didn't have to look at her as I spoke. She was older, maybe my mother's age and she was undoubtedly from the capitol. Her hair was done in a weird shape and it was of a bright red color. Her makeup was of different shades of orange and yellow.

"Baker, that's correct!" she said with her accent heavy on her voice "I met your brother, Miche," I tensed and I felt Katniss' thumb drawing a circle on the back of my hand. I took courage from that "He had one nasty temper, but he was very good looking. Even if he _was _from District 12," she mumbled as if she was speaking to herself. Then she looked intently at me, looking at my arms and chest and I wondered what she was looking for. "A family trait, I see." Then she looked at Katniss and I went from uncomfortable to mad as she clearly looked at her with contempt. "I see you're not following your brother's footsteps, that's good," her tone made it clear it was not. Katniss was glaring at her and she suddenly looked down. I almost smile at that. "You'll help him at the bakery, I suppose." She didn't look up to her. I had to smile this time.

"Yes," her voice was as soft as ever, but it was also very harsh. The woman noticed that, too. We didn't even have to agree on this point, Katniss would never be able to register her true occupation since it was illegal to hunt. So as far as anyone knew, she'd work with me at the bakery.

"The business stays in the family," she said and grinned at me again. Finally she began doing her job and looked for another form. She then turned to a large ledger mumbling something about outdated systems in between breaths and wrote something on it. She stapled another form to our marriage contract, signed it and stamped it and then she turned to us, putting the sheets of paper in front of me. "You will be assigned to live in residence number 6210, it's the closest residence to the bakery available, I did my best," she said this wanting to make it seem like she was doing some sort of favor to me. "You will be handed the papers tomorrow after the reaping and then you can officially move. Here are your keys." She said and gave me the papers and keys. "The section where your house is located is covered by Peacekeeper Darius," I was startled when from the corner of my eye I saw Katniss smiling slightly. What was she smiling about? I would have to wait to ask her. "And you're expected to fill your quota five years from now," she said and gave Katniss a sly look. "Lucky you," she said in a voice so low I supposed we weren't supposed to hear. Katniss quickly glared at her and the woman looked down.

"Is that all, then?" I asked, thinking there had to be more. This couldn't be it. She nodded eagerly. "Thank you," I mumbled and she looked gratefully at me.

"Thank _you,_" she said with a wink in my direction and I moved away gladly. I could feel her watching us, well _me, _as we walked away. I was sort of baffled that eighteen years of waiting amounted to less than half an hour of paperwork and inappropriate flirting, but it was done. We walked away from the Justice Building and she let go of my hand once we turned around on a small street I hadn't been in before. There were waves of people filling the square, we had made it just in time to avoid them. She was leading the way as I looked at the papers we'd been given.

"It was easier than I'd thought," I said and she seemed as uneasy as I was feeling. I didn't want her to feel that way. "What were you smiling about, before?" I said with an inviting smile. I hoped this would encourage her good mood. She graced me with a small smile.

"Our peacekeeper," Your assigned peacekeeper was usually not someone you looked forward to meeting. They were the ones that made sure that the couples in their sections were filling their quotas. This man, Darius, would be the man in charge of making us have children, and she was smiling? Katniss gave a turn and I followed even though I didn't know where she was taking me. I still didn't know what she meant. "Darius, I know him." She said proudly "He's just about the most corrupt peacekeeper left in twelve." I grinned widely at her.

"That's good," I said and she nodded. All humor drained from her face. I watched her in confusion.

"I thought I'd feel different." She said and I moved closer to her. We kept walking. "I feel the same." I gave her an encouraging smile.

"You're still _you,_ Katniss." I said and she seemed to be assimilating what I had just said. I looked around, wishing to know where I was and realized we weren't far from our new house. "Do you have somewhere you need to go?" I asked and she looked at me.

"No," she answered. She must have cleared her morning like I had. I really thought it would take longer. I lifted the papers and she looked at them.

"Do you want to come see?" I said and she took a moment to answer.

"Sure." She said and we walked towards the new house. We reached the house, 6210. The woman was right, it wasn't too far from the bakery. It would be a short walk every day. There was something strange about it too, it was larger than I thought it would be. I looked at the number on the paper and the number of the house again. It was correct, this was our new house. Katniss looked at it as perplexed as I was. It was definitely bigger than her own house at the Seam.

"Why is it so… big?" she said and I smiled at her expression. She didn't seem to mind that I smiled too often in her presence.

"I don't know." I said honestly. "Maybe there was a mistake." I said and she surprised me with a second smile in the day. It didn't reach her eyes but it was a smile all the same.

"Or maybe that woman's flirting was more serious than I thought," she was actually teasing me. I laughed at that, even if it had been at my expense, she looked more relaxed. I blushed, that woman had really made me uncomfortable. Katniss eyed the house again.

"Do you want to go inside?" I asked with a lower voice, all humor lost and she shook her head. I hadn't thought she would.

"I'd rather go home." she turned and I followed her. I would probably go back to the bakery now. We didn't talk and I had the chance to look at the houses surrounding us. I didn't think I knew any of our neighbors. Maybe my brother did, I saw a woman two houses next to ours holding a small baby while a toddler ran around her front yard. Her sons were the same age as my nephew and niece. I thought I recognized her from school but I wasn't sure.

We reached the street where the bakery was and she gave a turn to avoid being seen. She was quiet all the time, wistful. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to bother her. I walked with her until we reached the small road that led to the Seam, I was pretty sure she wouldn't want me to come with her. "Do you want me to keep these?" I said and showed her the papers. She stopped, I was right, she wanted to go alone.

"Yes, I'll just lose them," her hand was on her elbow. "I also haven't told my mother." She said and I felt a pang of guilt washing over me again.

"Are you sure you don't want me to talk to her?" I offered once more and she shook her head.

"No, I'll tell her." She said and I looked down.

"I haven't told my parents, either." I said and she didn't look surprised.

"Your mother will be thrilled." Again, she was teasing me. I smiled.

"She will. Do you think your mother will be mad?" I asked, not containing my worry any more. She shook her head.

"I think she'll be confused. She knows how I feel about marriage." I nodded. I remembered her talking about her convincing people that we wanted to get married and I realized it would be harder for her. She must have been openly against marriage. I wondered why she hadn't married Gale, but decided against asking her. I didn't need to upset her any further today.

"At least they get to keep you." I omitted the _we. _She didn't need to know what it meant to me that she would stay. That I would see her everyday. She smiled but I knew that it wasn't for me. Her next words confirmed it.

"Prim will go crazy," she whispered and her tone was so adoring it surprised me. Maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Katniss" she nodded.

"Right." She said with no enthusiasm in her voice. I turned around, not expecting anything else from her. "Peeta," I turned immediately to look at her. She was looking down. She opened her mouth to say something. Then she changed her mind. "Bye." She turned and left. I walked backwards as I watched her walking away. Still fascinated by the way her body seemed to move differently in the dress.

* * *

**So, what do you think? And if you can tell me, would you rather have 100% fluff or some suspense in there? Because I'm at a point where I can use either one.**

**Coming up: The Reaping **

**M.**


	4. The Reaping Pt1

**Hey guys! Thank you so much for your suggestions, I really appreciate them. I know which version will work better for us now and I hope you like it****.**

**With the help of Ripe, I finally remembered the story is ktface3's "The Matting Game". It's a great story, so if you haven't read it, go read it! I do not mean to plagiarize it in any way, but her original idea of the marriage instead of games did come from there so, thank you ktface3 for being my muse. **

** The next chapter was so long I broke it into two. As a result, you get a surprise update out of schedule!**

* * *

**Peeta**

Like every day, I got dressed before the sun came out. But unlike everyday, I finished packing a large suitcase with the things I would be taking to the new house and a box with the few jars of paint I owned, my pencils, sketchbooks and the few brushes I had. I hid the box and the suitcase under my bed since my parents thought I was going to be reaped today.

I'd had every intention to tell my parents something when I came back from the Justice Building. But as soon as I had opened my mouth to say something, my mother began insulting me again, so I thought I would let her be in the dark for the rest of the night. I wasn't vengeful like this usually, but knowing I wouldn't have to live with her anymore, made me really intolerant of her outbursts.

As I leaned forward to put the suitcase down I felt a surge of pain on my side, what my mother couldn't verbalize, she expressed it with actions. Her actions usually were conveyed with a rolling pin or a broom stick. Yesterday's choice had been the latter. She'd left a mark, that fortunately, Katniss wouldn't be able to see.

"Son, breakfast is ready," I heard my father say outside my bedroom's door.

"I'll be down in a minute, dad." I hadn't told him either, but something told me he already knew. He knew me so much better than my mother ever did. He knew how to read my expressions very well and that is why he had known all of this time of my feelings for Katniss, even when I never said anything. When I came back yesterday he had just watched me go about my day, I supposed my calm had reassured him because he didn't look anxious when my mother started harassing me.

I looked out the window. Many were still asleep baker's hours were hard to endure. I looked into the distance doing what I had many times tried to achieve before to no avail, I tried to see far enough to see her house. I wondered what she was doing and how she was feeling. I opened the drawer from the small desk in my room and took out the paperwork. I folded it neatly and put it in my front pocket. I went downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

**Katniss**

Prim was sad, that much was obvious. At least she wasn't crying anymore. I didn't understand how I had been able to handle her sadness, how I didn't say anything when I knew that it would cheer her up. Perhaps it was because I was afraid, I wasn't sure of how they would react to the fact that I had married without telling them. My mom looked resigned.

I watched her with interest, to see if at any time she would relapse into the non sentient being she had shifted to when my father died. She didn't, she surprised me by being practical. She offered me one of her dresses and announced she would do my hair in the morning. She was sad, I knew, but I still couldn't say anything. Whenever I opened my mouth to say something, the words were caught in my throat. I feared I would say the wrong thing and that I would end up telling them everything, the truth, the real reason why I had married Peeta at all. So I just bit my tongue and stood it. I felt myself drifting from the person that I was right now, and I was terrified. I didn't know what to expect next.

Last night as soon as I had gotten home I had changed and gone hunting. The woods relieved some of the pressure from the earlier events. When I returned home, I discovered my mother had invited the Hawthorne family for a goodbye dinner. Such reunions were not strange before a reaping. Whether it was because of a person would be reaped or because tomorrow was the day when the couples were officially asked to move in together. You could move in sooner, they didn't mind, but by tomorrow they would make sure you were no longer living with your family anymore. Hazelle looked sad, but like my mother, she didn't talk about it. The younger kids had been oblivious. Rory and Prim had kept to themselves most of the evening. Rory was trying to prepare her for something he had been forced to undergo unprepared, the reaping of their older sibling. I missed Gale. I missed him so much. I feel I could have done more, I should have, but I couldn't.

We ate breakfast in silence, not looking at each other. Prim would cry here and there, sometimes she would hold on to my hand and I'd give it a comforting squeeze. I had to remind myself why I was doing this. Looking at my mother and Prim and realizing this was what was best for all of us. It really was. If they thought I wanted to marry Peeta, they wouldn't only be safer, but also happier. And Peeta, he was difficult to think about. He was nice, that much was true. But how could I possibly know if that kindness would last? I was already getting more than what many people got in their entire lives. The reaping would make things worse, and he might change his mind and want more from me. Which I couldn't give, I knew that well enough. But I had to stay, for my family and Gale's. Someone had to take care of them.

* * *

**Peeta**

I took my time to go downstairs. All merchants were closed for business on the day of the Reaping, so we had time for one last meal in our parent's house.

I sat down in front of my father and ate breakfast. He didn't say anything, he just watched me. He knew me better than my mother ever did. I knew that as he saw me, entirely calm, his suspicion was confirmed. I would not be reaped today. However, I didn't want to leave him in doubt, so before it was time to leave I turned to him as I did the dishes.

"Dad," I said and he looked at me "I think we should take out grandpa's recipe book, I saw one I wanted to try. We could do it tomorrow," I said and he smiled, the last trace of doubt in his face replaced by relief. He smiled widely as he walked up to me and gave me a hug.

"I knew you were up to something, son," he said as he took my face in his hands like he did when I was a little boy and he kissed my cheek. "I knew it," he said and gave me another hug. He was a very affectionate man. Since my mother was anything but warm, my brothers and I always enjoyed the affectionate hugs and kisses we got from our father. Even now when Rye was twenty three he kissed and hugged him like he was seven and had just gotten a good grade. As we'd gotten older these demonstrations of affection had become scarce, my father usually just showed us his affection as openly when he was deeply happy. Like today. I appreciated he didn't ask whom I'd married but I knew he already had a pretty good idea of whom it was. After I finished cleaning up the kitchen I said goodbye and told my father I wanted to go to the square ahead of them. It was a tradition to be walked in to the square by your family, we both knew that wasn't going to happen.

"I'll see you afterwards, son." He said proudly and I nodded.

The closer you got to the square, the more evident it became that the town was bustling with activity. Entire families were walking in from different directions. Some looked happy, but most of them looked like they wanted to get this over with. The Justice Building was already open, and since the reaping would take place mid-morning, some couples were still rushing in to get married. I tried to stay partially hidden, I often enjoyed looking at people from a distance without being seen. It gave me an opportunity to observe people without influencing my surroundings. I had sketched many scenes I had come across this way. It was also better to avoid the pitying glances I would inevitably get from those who thought I hadn't found a wife. I looked around from time to time, trying to find Katniss. I couldn't see her anyway.

The stage that they had begun building yesterday was finished now. It was the same every year. They had a different design for the stage on every District and a huge one at the Capitol. Not that the Capitol citizens got reaped, that was the only place in Panem where the few people who didn't marry on time were left alone if they found a satisfying excuse. They could even marry whenever they wanted. I always thought it was unfair but it didn't matter. Whenever you asked they explained that they didn't hold reapings at the Capitol because the population had a constant growth rate. Everyone accepted it, the few that didn't had to resign to the fact that life was just not fair. It was just how things worked. At the Capitol they used the stage to present the reaping candidates of the rest of the Districts.

As the time got closer, the square became even louder. Names were shouted here and there. The peacekeepers had begun to infiltrate the mobs of people. They were separating the crowds from the eighteen year olds, and finally, they had singled out a small area for the candidates eligible for the reaping that would have to come up when summoned. Up front, closest to the Justice Building, was a row of chairs of the officials considered the main authorities of District 12. Mayor Undersee had the main seat, followed by the head of Peacekeepers, etc. Closest to the people, was the podium of Effie Trinket. They fit as many people as possible in the square, but assistance was only mandatory for the families of the reaped. Everyone had to watch the recapitulation of the reapings of every District in the evening.

When only fifteen minutes remained, I left my hiding spot and joined the crowd of my peers. Most of them were paired up. Some married outside their age, so there were many faces I recognized from the year before us. Some held hands, some hugged, all looked equally scared. Like they didn't know what was coming, even if we did. I couldn't find Katniss anywhere I looked.

I started getting nervous five minutes later when she was nowhere to be seen. I knew she'd be here I only worried about the peacekeepers patrolling the streets looking for strays. They made sure no one was at home or left behind. I looked at the crowd nervously and I caught the eye of most of my friends, they all smiled and then their smiles faded when they noticed I was alone. Then I saw my mother and father, my father looking cheerful and my mother with the same sour expression she always wore. He hadn't said anything, or so it seemed. My mother was looking for me in the crowd, I moved behind a boy from school I had talked to once, he was tall enough to conceal me. He had his arm around the waist of a tall girl I'd seen in my History class.

Searching in the crowd I finally saw a familiar face in the distance, her blond hair in two braids and her blue eyes sparkled with interest as she looked around. Next to her was a miniature version of Gale Hawthorne, his brother Rory, no doubt. They were looking around searching for someone and I guessed who that someone might be. I decided to go out into the crowd and look for her even if there were only two minutes left. Then someone touched my arm.

She gave me what I thought was an apologetic look before she turned around and looked at the crowd. She was wearing a dress again, but it wasn't the same one as yesterday. This one was faded yellow and it made her look just as lovely as before. Her hair was braided but in a different style and I was certain someone else had done it for her. I took her arm and pulled her slightly towards me and then I pointed out at Prim. Her eyes brightened in recognition.

"I'd thought you ran out on me," I whispered and she glared at me as if that was the most ridiculous thing I had ever said, she wasn't angry. I was elated. I laughed as quietly as I could but some people turned to see me with confusion. Then the anthem of Panem began and effectively silenced all of us.

It was over. Or actually, it had just started.

Everyone was silent, we all looked up when we heard Effie Trinket's high heels on the wooden stage. She reached her podium and tapped the microphone loudly, making all of us cringe. "Good morning, District 12!" She was too excited for the emotion to be genuine. It had to be uncomfortable to appear unyieldingly thrilled when a crowd was staring at you like you were an undiscovered mutation. I respected her for that. She began her speech, the same speech from when we got married and I quickly lost interest. I moved closer to Katniss and whispered.

"Did you tell your family?" I said and turned around to hear Effie, no one else was talking.

"No," she whispered and I looked at her. She was staring at Effie. The wind blowing a strand of hair to her face. She brushed it away with her fingers without paying much attention. "I didn't know what to say." She seemed remorseful. I understood.

"I didn't say anything, either." She looked at me. Her expression so intense it made my stomach flip a little. She always did that to me. She usually wore dark colors, so the yellow looked radiant on her skin. I turned towards Effie before she noticed my intense expression lingering on her saddened gray eyes. We heard the rest of the speech in silence.

"And now," Effie said excitedly, jumping from a moderately respectful tone to an openly eager voice "For the reaping candidates of this year," she said and took out an envelope. She seemed so enthusiastic, you would have thought she was about to announce the winners of some wonderful price. I moved slightly and caught my mother's expression in the distance, she was writhing with embarrassment. Rory Hawthorne on the other side, had just put his arm over a gloom looking Prim. "Faheela Meigh, Julia Heisst, Broder Kim, Louis Deery and Kaden Jols. All of those mentioned, please come up front!" she said with a wide smile. No one else was smiling.

My mother looked around impatiently, as if wondering if she had heard wrong. My father was smiling widely, he seemed quite pleased with himself. I could also see Prim and Rory's expression completely changed, she was all but jumping up and down excitedly as they looked towards the crowd trying to find Katniss. The five candidates walked up to the stage, two girls and three boys. There wasn't really a reason why people didn't marry. Only a few did it out of lack of choices, people usually got so desperate they married anyone they could regardless of their feelings. So those reaped remained a mystery. As I saw each and everyone of them going up the stage I couldn't help to think that I could have easily been up there. Katniss, too. I turned slightly to see her and she looked as aggravated as I was, I wondered if she was thinking the same thing. Just to think she could have been one of those girls made me want to wrap my arms around her until they were gone. Just to make sure they didn't take her away from me. I didn't. Instead I stared at the stage.

They had formed a line behind Effie the two girls first and then the boys. All of them, I had seen at least once in school but had never spoken to them. And they would all be gone, to never be heard from again.

"To all of those already married, congratulations! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie said and walked away, the candidates following close behind. The chattering started around us like a faint murmur at first, then it was all we could hear. Then the mayor stepped up to the podium. The reaped kids were led to the Justice Building, they were allowed to say goodbye to their families and then they had to take the train to the Capitol. I remembered it all, from Miche's reaping. I turn to Katniss to stop thinking about him.

"Did you know any of them?" I asked as I took in her saddened expression, she was still staring at the now empty stage.

"No, I just remembered something," she said simply and I knew she'd been thinking of Gale. I gave her a knowing look.

"Congratulations, new citizens of District 12," said Mayor Undersee and the chatter whined down a bit. They congratulated us because even though we had grown up in 12 and it was all we ever knew, we weren't actually citizens of the District until we were married and safely located in the District's society. "We will now proceed to make the official housing distribution. So come up to the main desk when your names are called, please." There wasn't even a speech from the mayor, I would think the whole thing didn't matter at all if it weren't for the fact that we had been warned and many times threatened during all of our lives to take this matter seriously. Katniss didn't look sad anymore, she looked worried.

"Are you worried because of your family?" I whispered, getting closer than even before because the noise of talking people had gotten even louder. She didn't react to my proximity. We were all pretty close together anyway.

"No," she said simply. "I'm really a terrible liar." I smiled at her trying to comfort her. She looked at me in disbelief.

"Don't worry about that, I'll do the talking," I couldn't help myself anymore and I took her hand. I felt her fingers tightening around mine and she nodded. She seemed a little more relaxed now.

"Anteyin!" called out the mayor. The first couple walked forward nervously. A guy I had in my biology class and a girl from Math came forward. The mayor grinned at them and after asking them to sign something they moved on. I could see there were other stops, some tables had appeared as if from nowhere, but I couldn't see anyone involved.

It was strange to be living through this, a moment we had been programmed to think about for our entire lives. When I'd seen it from the outside it seemed a lot more imposing and daunting. Now that it was my time to do it I only thought of how pointless it all seemed. It was just a signature here and there and that was all. I couldn't believe I had waited so eagerly for this moment and it was just about that. Thinking about it, I relaxed further. I couldn't say the same about Katniss.

"Katniss, you don't have to look so mortified, remember we _wanted _this." I said with a smile and she glared at me.

"I told you I'm a terrible liar." She said and I shook my head. I turned so my body was facing hers.

"Don't lie then." I said simply and she looked confused behind us a couple named Blumen was being called up to the desk. I moved even closer to her, she stared at me expectantly and I got closer to her ear. "We're not actually married so all of this doesn't matter. Don't even think about it. Think about Prim, that you'll be with her after all of this is over." I looked at her to see if this had made sense and she was staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite understand. It was between disbelief, confusion and appreciation. "Just think about that until we can leave and we'll be fine. I'll handle the rest." I said and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Prim," she whispered she already looked happier. I smiled at her in encouragement. Then I did something I couldn't believe I'd had the courage to do. I turned my head and kissed her temple. She froze but didn't move back, mercifully. I tried to look confident as I pulled back, she was frowning but didn't look mad. She arched an eyebrow.

"It's all pretend, remember?" and I tried to look as innocent as possible. She just rolled her eyes at me and I had to laugh. She wasn't smiling but she wasn't angry. My lips were burning, my entire body startled for the jolt caused by my lips touching her skin. I would have to lay off the kissing for the moment; otherwise she would be the one struggling to keep me in one piece. I kept talking to her about anything inconsequential I could think of, and I kept trying to make her laugh. Mostly at my expense. Anything to keep her distracted until it was time to walk forward. Around us the voice of the mayor continued to echo on the small walls surrounding the square.

"Daffel! Froiyt! Geern! Haisst!" since my name was coming up we started moving forward. I kept trying to make her smile but I couldn't find anything. Then as we came closer to the stage I could make up the faces of the two other people at the tables where we would be given our final directions.

"Oh, no!" I said loud enough to startle Katniss that immediately looked at me with an aggravated expression. All relaxation I had achieved so far was forgotten.

"What?" she asked and looked around as if expecting a peacekeeper to materialize out of nowhere and tell us we were in trouble.

"It's the same woman from before," I said sheepishly and Katniss took a moment to know what I meant. Then the couple called Loeb moved forward. She finally smiled.

"Mellark!" the mayor said and we moved up the stairs. Katniss was trying to contain her smile, failing at it almost entirely and I took in her expression with a smile of my own. I'd finally done it, well, the inappropriate woman had done it. A realization dawned on me, everyone around me knew my deepest secret now, my preference for Katniss. Our families knew, too. When the mayor saw Katniss, he smiled widely. The smile on the tall balding man was honest, not like with the other candidates.

"Katniss! I am so glad to see you!" he said enthusiastically and I thought about how Katniss knew the Mayor and I realized he probably knew her the same way we all did. She traded with him. "Madge is going to be so pleased to know you're here!" he said and shook her hand. He hadn't shaken anyone's hand before. I remembered I had often seen Katniss eating lunch with Madge Undersee, the Mayor's daughter.

"Thank you, Mr. Undersee," she said with a polite smile. All humor gone from before.

"Oh, but the papers!" he said as he had just remembered we were at an official gathering and not at a social venue. "Sign here and here," he said with a grin "and if you need anything at all, please let me know, I'll be happy to help you."

"Thank you," said Katniss with a pretty honest smile and I thanked him too. I put my hand on the small of her back and she walked forward a grin suddenly appearing on her face again.

"Mr. Mellark," the annoying woman's voice said and then she looked at me again, the last thing she assessed was my face, her eyes lingering on my body. It was very uncomfortable. "And Mrs. Mellark," she said looking at Katniss. She didn't look so happy anymore. "Aren't we looking handsome this afternoon," she said and produced another large ledger. "Sign here," she said and both Katniss and I signed. "You are assigned to residence 6210 and as of today you will be required to occupy it. Here are the house deeds," she handed me a piece of paper "and other papers that we hope you will read thoroughly and find helpful." She gave me another lingering look and then she actually bit her lower lip as she looked at me with a smile. "And I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful evening." She said and my brow furrowed. Katniss took the papers from her before I could. The woman reluctantly looked at her.

"We will, thank you," her voice had the same steely tone I'd heard before and that had scared her. It had the same effect as before on her and she recoiled from Katniss overt hostility. I didn't even say anything else as she put her arm around my waist and she led me to the next station where the same small grumpy man from before put stamps on the papers the woman had just delivered. We followed the direction the last couple had followed before us and I raised an eyebrow like she had done before. She took a moment then she answered.

"She was over the top. We're married and I was right there," I raised my eyebrows at her. "She doesn't know it's not true." She whispered this last part with an expression so obstinate I had to laugh.

"Lets just get out of here," I told her and she seemed all for that plan. There was a crowd at the end of the path where most couples were meeting their families. Before I could say anything else or Katniss could lead us away from the crowd, though, a voice from ahead caught my attention.

"Peeta!" I heard Delly's voice shout. Behind her was Micah Keighs. They had certainly been a surprise, they had married on Wednesday as far as I knew. Before I got a chance to introduce her to Katniss she was choking me in a hug.

"Delly, I can't breathe!" I complained and she laughed ignoring me completely. Micah was used to this, even though he was a year younger, we were on the same circle of friends and everyone knew how overwhelming Delly could be. He was standing behind us with an indulgent smile on his face.

"Oh, Peeta! I'm so happy you stayed!" she said as she dropped her arms from around me. "I thought you were going to be taken away," faint tears from her eyes showed me just how much she'd believed that. "And you're not! You're staying!" she said eagerly and looked curiously at Katniss. Katniss was quiet but she wasn't glaring at them, I could work with that. "With Katniss!" said Delly and finally allowed herself to look at her. I was right, Katniss was intimidating for more people not just me. "I didn't even know you guys were together!" she said and I smiled widely.

"We kept it quiet for a while," I said and put my arm over her shoulders. She didn't even think about it this time, her arm wrapped around my waist. "We actually started going out these last few months," I said as confidently as I could, Delly and Micah seemed enthralled with solving the mystery. It was important I got it right because once these two knew all of our friends would know. "Honestly I was just lucky she accepted to marry me," I let my admiration and awe for her leak into my tone. I was looking down at her and she gave me an indulgent look and a small smile. Perfect. She said she was a bad liar but maybe that was just true if she said something. I looked up at Delly like I had just remembered they were standing right there and just by taking in her expression I knew she believed me. She looked moved, her hands clasped together over her chest and an affectionate look on her eyes. Then she slapped my arm.

"But I didn't hear anything about your toasting!" she said offended and I had already expected that. I knew Delly too well, she had been my best friend for a long time.

"We didn't have a public toasting," I knew just what to say to cause the effect I needed for her to pass on to others "I just took a loaf of bread to her house one day and we had a secret toasting just the two of us." My tone was clearly barely letting her in on the secret and then I looked at Katniss the only way I knew how, without trying to conceal anything. There was faint amusement in her eyes and I wondered what she was thinking about.

"That is so romantic!" she said in a shrill and I knew I had done it right. "As soon as we're settled you have to come over and tell me everything! I won't take no for an answer!" said Delly and she gave me a grave look. It was a threat, I couldn't hide things from her anymore.

"Come on, Del, we have to go," said Micah as he looked around. He took her hand and started pulling her away.

"Right, we'll see you later guys!" she said and hugged me again. She seemed like she wanted to hug Katniss too but she stopped. "And Katniss, it was lovely meeting you!" she said and she shook her hand. Katniss smiled back.

"It was lovely meeting you, too." I was right, she could lie as long as she didn't say anything. I smiled at her. Micah gave me a thumbs up as he looked at Katniss and I glared at him. They left and I dropped my arm from Katniss to take her hand. We started moving away from the square.

"Let's go this way," Katniss said and she led the way. She knew better than anyone how to move around town without being seen. Letting go of her was a necessity, it was impossible to stay together any other way. Which I was thankful for, since it gave me a very good excuse to keep her close. That's when I heard my father's voice.

"Peeta!" We heard him at the same time because we stopped and looked back simultaneously. "Oh, son, I am so proud of you! So happy for the both of you!" he said and hugged me. My mother was nowhere to be seen, as expected she would avoid us. "And Katniss!" with no warning, he pulled her into a tight hug, too. She looked embarrassed and I didn't know what else to do other than give her an apologetic look. "I am so happy you married my son!" I wondered if I should intervene, fast, before he said something that would embarrass me, like how he saw me panting after her from the moment I saw her. He was just so happy, he might let something like that slip.

"I'm very happy too, Mr. Mellark," she said and he looked overjoyed.

"No! No more Mr. Mellark! You're married to my son now, we're family! You can call me Milles." He said and she looked uncomfortable but a shy smile appeared on her lips.

"All right, Milles," she said and my dad looked like he could burst with happiness for hearing that. She did have that effect on people. Or on me at least.

"Dad, we have to go," I said and my dad snapped out of his joy and remembered real life.

"Right, you have to move!" he said as if this was the single most exciting thing he had ever heard. He reminded me faintly of Effie Trinket's unwavering exhilaration. "As soon as you can come to the bakery, I'll make something special for the both of you!" he said warmly and I smiled.

"We will, dad, thank you," I said and took Katniss' hand. We had to go to her house now.

"Thank you Mr,-"began Katniss "I mean, Milles," she said and he was beaming by the end of that sentence. He turned and left.

"Sorry about that, my dad can be a little enthusiastic."

"I don't mind." She said "I like your dad." At least she liked one of my parents.

"What about your family? Don't you want to look for them?" I told her as I reluctantly let go of her hand.

"No, I told Prim to meet me at the house." When? I was pretty certain Prim was on the other side of the square the entire time. I didn't complain. The farther she took us in the small streets and alleys, the less I could hear the noise behind us. When we were far enough from the square that it didn't feel like we were running away I noticed how she relaxed. A second later, she eyed me suspiciously.

"What?"

"Where did you learn to lie so smoothly?"she asked. I smiled at her expression. I shrugged.

"I taught myself, it's a gift." I said pretending to be smug, but she didn't seem impressed "It's easy to lie to people you know, I know what Delly wanted to hear so it wasn't hard to just say it. Was it obvious?" I asked and she shook her head.

"I'd believe you if I didn't know better." She said and I realized she was impressed.

"Was that a compliment?" I said with an eager smile and she rolled her eyes at me. I really loved it when she did that. "I'll take it as a compliment." I mused and she didn't say anything else. "You on the other hand, are a terrible liar," I said and she glared at me.

"I can't help it." She said disappointed, and I smiled.

"I meant that as a compliment." She gave me the tiniest of smiles for that. We didn't talk much after that. Some of the houses we passed had their inhabitants talking excitedly, evidently many families were gathering to talk and celebrate the destiny of their children or at least of someone close to them. I wondered what it was like to feel at home with your own family.

"We can get my things quickly, then we'll bring them to the new house." Katniss said as we reached the Seam from a direction I had never been in before.

"Don't worry about that, take your time." I reassured her. She nodded.

"It won't take long." She promised. Her house was visible in the distance along with a little blond head that had waited way too much already.

"Katniss!" she screamed excitedly. "Mom! They're here!" Katniss expression changed in a split second, her wide smile and the brightness of her eyes made my heart ache. She was so beautiful. She went to her sister and I took a deep breath. I hoped the Everdeens would like me.

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**Coming up: The Reaping Pt. 2 **


	5. The Reaping Pt 2

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"Katniss!" Prim didn't stop screaming until she crashed into her sister's arms. Even then she repeated her name over and over, as if she thought she might never be able to say it out loud again and she was relishing in the action. Katniss did the same and I couldn't help to smile. I noticed Rory Hawthorne was there, too. He had followed Prim until the gate and now he was eyeing me curiously. I smiled at him trying to appear as friendly as possible. He smiled back briefly and then looked down.

"Katniss I knew you'd stay! I knew you couldn't leave!" said Prim with intense joy, her skinny arms around her sister's waist.

"It's okay, Prim, I'm right here." Katniss said and her tone was fierce and sweet at the same time. She only ever spoke to Prim this way.

"And you're not leaving again?" Prim said, her face covered in tears even though she was still smiling widely. She was truly a sweet girl.

"No, Prim, I'm staying here." This was why she had done all of this. That simple sentence had made it entirely clear. Prim was the only reason why Katniss did anything at all. Katniss hugged her little sister and kissed her on the cheek before wiping the tears of her small face. As soon as she did that, Prim beamed at me.

"Peeta!" she was smiling so widely that you would've thought we'd met a hundred times before. I'd seen her at school and couple of times at the bakery and I knew my father really liked her, but I'd never personally gotten the chance to meet her. "Its so nice to meet you!" she said and her little arms were wrapped around my waist before I could say something. I laughed and hugged her back. Katniss went up to Rory and hugged him. It was brief, but I could see how relieved he was.

"It's lovely to meet you, too, Prim." There was no need to lie about that. She let go of me and a pinkish tone appeared on her cheeks, as if she'd realized she'd done something embarrassing.

She stepped back and looked at her sister as she spoke.

"Mom is on her way out, a woman from the Seam fainted at the square," Prim explained and her expression was suddenly pained. "I think one of her sons was reaped." Katniss gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. Rory had come closer. Upon further scrutiny, I realized he really was a lot like his brother. Tall for his age, same gray eyes and sharp features. However, it was clear he was young still, regardless of his stature and he didn't look as confident as his brother always had. He eyed Katniss and me shyly as he approached.

"I came to stay with her while your mother was away." He said, his voice already deep and in a similar tone to his brother's. Not that I remembered his voice exactly. I could see then why he'd been so relieved before. He seemed responsible, he would've taken Prim's care as a personal task if Katniss had been reaped.

"Thank you, Rory," said Katniss and he looked embarrassed again. "Where's your mother and the kids?" Rory looked even more awkward, if it was possible.

"I was sort of hoping you'd come with me. She didn't want to leave the house when she thought you were-," he blushed even more "so I don't think she'll believe me if I say you stayed."

"Let's go get her, then." Katniss said. Rory began walking at a fast pace but stopped when Prim spoke.

"But come right back!" Prim shouted out excitedly "We can have supper together, to celebrate!" she was already bouncing back to the house and I looked at Katniss. She'd have to make the choice of staying for supper. It was paramount to respect her boundaries, especially regarding her family, if I hoped to gain her trust at some point. Seeing Prim's tiny frame, I had an idea.

"Actually, I have to go to the akery really quick. My dad said he needed help with something." Katniss was immediately suspicious, since she knew my dad hadn't said anything when I saw him and I hadn't mentioned it earlier. Prim looked disappointed and Rory was just awkwardly standing in the road that I assumed led to his house. He walked a few steps back.

"Ok, but you have to come, Peeta! You have to meet mom, and Posy, and Vick and Hazelle!" this seemed crucial to Prim. I had to smile.

"It will only take a moment." I promised.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Katniss said as an afterthought, like she just realized it was something I would want from her.

"No, it's ok. You get Rory's family, I'll see my dad real quick and I'll probably be back at the same time. Ok?" Prim looked satisfied, Katniss still looked suspicious and Rory started walking fast towards his house again only to stop one more time since Katniss didn't move behind him. Katniss approached me instead.

"We don't have to eat with my family either, you don't have-" she said in a whisper.

"I'd love to meet everyone, if that's fine with you." I meant it. I prefered to spend time with people that were actually happy that we'd gotten married. Even if it had nothing to do with me.

"Are you sure?" she asked me again.

"Absolutely." And I began walking away to emphasize my point. I waved my hand goodbye to Prim and she went in the house. I made my way to the bakery as hastily as possible. It was very unlikely that my mother had stayed at the house, so I'd made the snap decision to come to the bakery and get some bread to share with Katniss' family. It seemed rude not to bring something the first time we officially met. I thought I'd be alone at the bakery, but as soon as I came in my dad greeted me.

"Peeta!"He said happily. Hoping to avoid my mother, I'd come through the side door that opened directly into the kitchens. My dad was baking something, but the house was quiet. So my mother had to be elsewhere. Otherwise the sound of my name would have sent her storming down the stairs screaming curses and throwing things in my direction. I sighed with relief when that didn't happen. My dad looked at me in confusion when I closed the door and he realized I was alone. "Where's Katniss?" he said with a saddened gaze.

"At her house. We are spending the afternoon with her family and I thought I might bring something for supper." He nodded in approval.

"Good thinking, son! I taught you well. I have just the thing for you!" He left through the door that led to the bakery and came back with a large loaf of bread already packed to go. As soon as he did, I removed some coins from my pocket.

"I'll pay for it, so mother doesn't have any more excuses to hate me." He moved my hand away. She was so uptight about money, when in reality business was great. We could easily live off of it and eat some fresh bread here and there and we would still get profit. She acted like an ounce of flour had the potential of making us go bankrupt.

"Nonsense! It is a gift. I'm also making you cookies! I thought you could take them to Katniss' but now that I know you're having supper with them, you can take them to her house and share them with her family." He looked genuinely pleased at this. I smiled at him. My dad thought everything could be fixed with food.

"Thank you, dad."

"They're almost done." He made great cookies. And for the smell of it, they were the small sugar kind that weren't quite as luxurious, but that were really filling and tasty. We were just waiting for them to be out of the oven, so he started cleaning up. I tried to help but he made me stop. So all that was left to do while we waited, was talk.

"How's mother?" I asked and he grimaced.

"She is indisposed at the moment." I hadn't expected any less. Indisposed meant she was throwing a fit.

"I knew she'd do this," I said bitterly and my father's brow furrowed.

"You have to understand your mother, son. She can be difficult sometimes but she means well," both things were a lie. She wasn't difficult, she was impossible and she never meant well. All she cared about was her own benefit. I had wondered so many times why she even bothered to have me and my brothers. The quota, of course.

"I'm glad Katniss isn't here, then." I said and my dad stopped working. And walked to where I was.

"No, son, don't talk like that," he said sadly. "I want you to know you and Katniss are always more than welcome here. This is still your home," he said and put his hands on my shoulders as he often did. "We love you very much," he said and hugged me. I hugged him back, the entire significance of the day suddenly dawned on me. It easily would have been different if she had said no. Or if I hadn't had the guts to ask her.

"I love you, too, dad." he didn't even complain because I hadn't said I loved my mother too. I thought that if I stayed any longer, I might say something unpleasant about her, which would only upset him. "I'll go get my things and leave them at the new house while we wait," He nodded and patted my shoulder once more before I went upstairs.

I collected my few possessions and walked towards the new house, it was very conveniently located. I opened the door and left my things next to it, without actually going inside the house and then I walked back to the bakery. When I got there my dad had finished packing up the cookies.

"Here, tell Katniss they're from us," my dad said as he put a box of still warm cookies above the loaf he had packed earlier. There was also a small package I hadn't noticed before. I gave him a questioning look as I picked it up.

"It's for Moira. As a thank you." Katniss' mom, I should have known. I put it in my pocket without asking any more questions and said goodbye.

"Be well, son," he said as he watched me walk towards the Seam. I wished he could join me, but that would never happen. My mom wouldn't allow it. I started feeling nervous again when I saw Katniss' house in the distance, and I vaguely wondered if I was supposed to knock or just walk in. I decided to knock, and if everyone was out I would just wait in the garden. I hoped I'd brought enough food.

"Peeta is back!" I was taken by surprise by Prim's loud yell. I looked up and saw her standing in the front door. Rory was right behind her. By the window I could see two curious faces of much younger kids who were clearly more of his siblings. All Hawthorne children looked a lot alike.

"I am, Prim! And I bring gifts!" I had everyone's attention then. Prim eyed the bag curiously.

"What is it?!" Prim said excitedly. I crossed the fence like I'd done it a hundred times before.

"You'll see," I said and their excitement only grew. Katniss came out of the house then. She immediately noticed the packages in my hands and raised an eyebrow. She didn't look happy. Everyone ran inside, leaving an angry Katniss in the doorsill.

"Peeta," she chastised when I reached her.

"Don't blame me. It was a present from my father." She seemed to believe me, but she didn't seem pleased.

"I guess I could pay him back if I-"

"Don't even think about it, Katniss. Is a present, and he would be really offended." Her eyes looked stubborn at my obvious lie, she wanted to reply badly.

"Thank you," she said with a sigh. I smiled widely.

"You're going to have to get better at taking presents from people. My father really likes you." She rolled her eyes and went into the house. I followed her.

The house was a lot noisier than when I'd been in it before, which only made it more cozy. The kids ignored our entrance but they eyed the packages I brought with me. However, as soon as we were inside Katniss' mother came to greet me. In the back I could see another woman, who I was certain was the children's mother.

"Mother!" screamed Prim as she stood beside me and grabbed my hand. "This is Peeta." she said excitedly and tugged at my hand.

"I know that, Prim," her mother said fondly and patted her daughter's head. She gave me a warm smile "you look too much like your father to be anyone else," she said with a gentle voice and I smiled. Katniss took the packages from me and went to leave them by the table. I watched her distractedly as Prim let go of me to inspect what I had brought closely.

"Thank you," I always appreciated when people said I resembled my father. I knew it was true, too, we had the same stocky build, the same hair and same eyes. Other than that he always said I had my grandmother's smile. I barely looked like my mother at all. I always wondered if that was one of the reasons why she was always so hard on me, my brothers looked more like her, especially Rye and she didn't treat them as strictly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Everdeen." Katniss had returned to my side.

"Please, Peeta, you can call me Moira." She said and patted my arm like she just had Prim's. I felt Katniss' hand sliding into mine but I didn't flinch, of course I wouldn't, she was looking at her mother. Her mother looked at the both of us while she spoke "I believe I should congratulate the both of you," there was something in her tone that seem off, but I doubted she was mad. Katniss seemed as relaxed as before but her expression had tightened slightly. "I am very happy to hear you got married." She said and I smiled, she seemed as relieved as Prim.

"Thank you," said Katniss and her mother looked at her. Then she closed the distance between us and gave us a hug. Prim smiled at that from the table and I smiled too, it took me a second to react, but I hugged her back. I hadn't expected it, but it was nice to be welcomed into a new place. I only wondered why Katniss had tensed or why she didn't let my hand go. Not that I would let go on my own. Hazelle eyed me curiously from the table, Rory was standing next to her and had placed his hand on her arm. Moira dropped her arms.

"I'm very glad you are staying for supper!" her blue eyes sparkled. Then she directed her attention mostly at me. "We have most of the food ready, so please, come in and make yourself comfortable." She looked a lot like Prim when she smiled.

Katniss dropped my hand and went to the kitchen to resume what she had been doing before I arrived. Moira did the same and Prim introduced me to the remaining guests of the party. Mrs. Hawthorne insisted to be called Hazelle, and the small kids ran away when Prim led me to them to say hi. When all introductions were done and I was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, I turned to Prim for help.

"Prim, what can I help you with?" She gave me a wide smile. She was moving around setting the table.

"You don't have to do anything, Peeta, you can just sit down and I'll get everything ready." She said eagerly and I shook my head.

"What kind of person lets a pretty lady like you do everything while he waits? I'm afraid I can't do that, Prim." She giggled and blushed. Then she thought about it.

"You can help me set the table." She said and I nodded eagerly. While we did that I paid attention to what went on in the kitchen. Hazelle joined Katniss and Moira at the kitchen where they talked about the woman that had fainted and the kids that had been reaped. Katniss shared all of what she knew about the kids and their families and Moira and Hazelle heard her with compassion on their voice. I realized both Moira and Hazelle respected Katniss' take on things, it was obvious that even though she was very young still they had treated her as an equal for a long time. Her opinion mattered greatly to them. I'd been right when I thought she was more mature than everyone else our age, but I suspected I didn't quite understand just how much of an actual adult she actually was.

"Peeta!" said Prim loudly and I realized she'd caught me staring at Katniss. I was embarassed, but Prim's amusement was enough to distract me.

"Yes, Prim?" I asked as if she hadn't been trying to get my attention for a long time.

"I said we're done with the table. You can sit down if you want, that chair over there has a great view of the kitchen." She pointed at a table, and Rory who yet again was standing besides Prim chuckled under his breath. Regardless of how different we looked, I recognized myself in the kid, I knew that look of silent adoration too well to mistake it. I wondered if Katniss knew how Rory looked at her sister. Katniss didn't seem to pay too much attention to them, so to answer my question from before, she was most likely oblivious to their feelings. Just as she was to mine.

"That's a very good idea, Prim. Thank you." I sat down and Prim and Rory did the same.

"So," Prim said as she interlaced her fingers before her. "Why didn't you tell us you were getting married?" She asked as seriously as she could manage. I had just walked into an interrogation.

"Maybe you should ask your sister for that story, Prim. I don't know if she'd like for me to speak on her behalf." She looked like she hadn't expected that.

"But she won't tell me anything. She never talks about boys!" She said and slouched on her chair with a defeated sigh.

"I'll tell you what, if you ask her and she refuses to answer, I'll tell you what happened. But you have to ask her first." She frowned.

"Fine." She pouted stubbornly. "Will you at least tell us what's on the box?" Rory looked interested now and even Vick turned to look at us.

"No, I'm sorry. You'll have to wait for dessert." Prim looked excited.

"I told you it was cookies!" She said to Rory.

"How did you know?" I said with a smile.

"Because I've seen those boxes at the bakery before. Not that I've ever had more than a cookie because we can't really afford-" she seemed embarrassed at what she had said and stopped "but I know those boxes are used for cookies." Now even Posy was paying attention.

"Well they're not just any cookies, they're my dad's famous sugar cookies and there's more than plenty for you to get more than one."

"For us, too?" Asked Vick looking like he was ready to be disappointed.

"Of course!" And just like that, they liked me. They all demanded my attention. Prim wanted to ask more questions about our secret marriage, Vick who I thought was a quiet kid gave me a full explanation when I asked about his wooden bear and Posy, feeling left out, had given me a thorough demonstration of how to take the dress off her doll. They were so adorable I couldn't do anything but listen intently. I ended up playing with them in the living room while Rory and Prim began their own conversation.

"Time to eat!" Said Katniss and the little kids abandoned what they were doing to go to the table. Which was odd, since I remembered how much I hated to stop playing to go eat.

"Peeta! Come sit next to me!" said Prim and patted the seat next to her. I wondered where we would all fit in the six place table. Rory produced a chair from upstairs and was sitting on one side of Prim. I sat next to her and Posy sat next to me. I smiled at her.

"Posy, I think you're in my seat." Said Katniss with a gentle smile for the little girl.

"Come here, Posy you'll sit with me." Said Hazelle, in front of her, Rory had Vick up in his lap. Posy looked unconvinced.

"You can sit with me if you'd like." I said and she beamed at me. She crawled up my lap and looked pleased with herself as Vick eyed her enviously. Katniss sat next to me with a small smile in her lips. She started putting food on the plates.

As soon as everyone had a plate full in front of them, we started eating the rabbit, soup and the salad they had made. I was glad I had brought the bread, and wished I had brought more because for the looks of it every kid had quite an appetite. Nobody mentioned it unless to show gratitude, everyone talked animatedly the whole time. It was a sharp contrast from the meals at home where no one spoke unless spoken to and where my mother usually spent the entire meal complaining about something. The only meals I enjoyed at home were the ones I shared with my father. I realized he would have loved to be here.

"I hope your father is well, Peeta," said Moira politely right when I was thinking about him and I smiled.

"He is, thank you. He sends his regards," I remembered the small package he had sent. I had put it on my pocket. I'd give it to her once we were finished. I wondered if she had ever wondered how life would have been with my father. I doubted it; she must have really been in love with Mr. Everdeen to leave everything she had for him. I wiped Posy's cheek with my napkin, she was making a mess with her soup. Eventually she got so eager with her bread that her mother had to take her from me.

Moira and Hazelle asked more questions. About baking, and cooking and even things I did on my spare time. They were trying to get to know me, just like that. We hadn't spoken a day in our lives before this, but just because Katniss had married me they were welcoming me into their lives. I not only felt welcome, but also appreciated. It was not only nice because of how they made me feel, but because Katniss seemed so relaxed it was hard to recognize her from this morning, or to be franc, from any time when she was out of her house. Whenever that was the case there was a certain tightening of her eyes, a concern in her expression she could not shake off. I learned that only when Katniss was surrounded with people she trusted she was truly herself. That was saying something since she was not really fond of the people in the District. The people in this house and I suspect another few were the exception. I hoped I would be included in this select group at some point. I have to admit it was a little unnerving to talk to them not because I was nervous, but because Katniss didn't stop looking at me. I knew she wasn't just being polite. There was something intent in the way she looked at me, exactly like Prim before her interrogation, like she was plotting something. I made jokes and they laughed, I said something moving and they seemed moved, all I could think of was Katniss watching me.

When the supper was finished Moira and Hazelle insisted on being the ones to clean up but neither Katniss nor I let them pick up more than a plate. Katniss made some tea and we persuaded them to have the cookies while we took care of the mess. We ended up cleaning up the dining room. I began doing the dishes when Katniss was making sure everyone had a cup of tea. Unsurprisingly, she always made sure everyone had their food before she began to think about herself. When she saw what I was doing, she took a cloth and started drying the plates I handed to her. We were elbow to elbow; there was simply not enough space on the kitchen.

"You know, you don't really have to be like this." She said and my brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" I asked and she took a plate and began drying it.

"You don't have to make an effort to be friendly to the Hawthorne's, they won't question anything we tell them. My mother and Prim, too." She said and I realized what she was saying.

"Oh, I'm not making an effort, Katniss. And I'm certainly not pretending." I said and she looked at me questioningly. I decided that teasing her was the best I could do. "I am this charming on a regular basis," I said smugly, she rolled her eyes at me, a small smile on her lips. "You can ask around if you don't believe me," she took another plate.

"I believe you," she whispered and I grinned at her. "But really, you don't have to get involved. Like the cookies," I realized I would have to be clear on certain things. I was so mesmerized by my own state of mind that I didn't begin to think of how things looked from Katniss' perspective. She didn't know I loved her, she thought she had made a deal with someone who was not emotionally invested in the slightest. She knew so little of me, I smiled to myself. So I would have to make some things clear to her so there wouldn't be any doubt.

"I want to get involved, not because they're your family, but because I liked them. And the cookies were actually from my dad, he baked them especially for the occasion. They're really nice and I'm glad there's something I can do to make them happy." She looked at me, her eyes so soft I almost dropped the plates I had in my hands.

"Fine, but don't think you have to do something because you feel you have to." She said and I laughed.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't do anything I don't feel like doing." It was really more a case of not doing what I wanted to do. Like right now, she was so close I wanted to lean in and kiss her. "Even if Prim threatens me, or tries to kill me, I promise I will not surrender," I said and she actually laughed. The sound of her laughter was musical, soft and delightful. I could have heard that sound all day.

"I doubt she'll try to kill you," she said still smiling "she would just guilt you into doing something but only if she thought it was for your own good," she said and her voice was adoring.

"I think I would prefer the threats," I said and she smiled again.

"I can tell you from personal experience they are preferable." We continued to clean in silence, a remark here and there and she smiled often, but she didn't laugh. I wanted to make her laugh again. The sky was darkening; soon it would be time for us to leave. Prim seemed to noticed this because she popped her head into the kitchen and asked.

"Katniss, do you need any help packing?" Katniss seemed startled.

"Yes, Prim, I'll be up in a minute," she said and then she turned to me. "We should get going, the Peacekeepers will begin their rounds once the sun is set." She said and I nodded. My heart sunk when I noticed the change in her expression, she was becoming guarded again.

"We'll go whenever you're ready." I said and she left. I sighed. It seemed that no matter how happy I could make her at moments, there was a shadow looming over us, waiting to creep up on her whenever she let it. This couldn't be the life for her. I finished the dishes and returned to the living room.

"Peeta, you can come sit with us if you'd like, while you wait for Katniss." Said Moira and I tried to smile as honestly as before as I sat on a chair I pulled towards the living room.

"I'll be glad to," I said and sat down. Hazelle gave me a pleasant smile. Moira and Hazelle were sitting on the couch, Posy on her mother's lap. Vick on the floor and I caught a glimpse of Rory sitting on the steps of the porch.

"You really do look a lot like your father," said Moira.

"I just remembered," I removed the small package from my pocket "he asked me to give you this." She looked deeply surprised.

"Oh, please thank him for me."

"I will."She seemed distracted after that.

"Where were you assigned to live?" She tried to continue the conversation and ignore what she had in her hands.

"It's not far from the bakery," I said "on 23rd street," no one really used the street names but it was general knowledge so they knew what I was talking about. "We'll be more than glad to invite you over once we're settled." I said with a smile and they both seemed pleased. Like I had told Katniss, I really did like all of them and I hoped they would feel comfortable with my presence in their lives.

"Thank you very much," said Hazelle.

"And will Katniss help you at the bakery?" Moira asked and I smiled.

"Katniss can do whatever she wants. I would be more than glad to have her over at the bakery but I am also pleased if she prefers to continue to hunt. Whatever makes her happy," I said with a smile and they both looked at me in disbelief. Had I said something wrong?

"We both know what she'll choose," said Moira with an indulgent smile. Hazelle nodded too.

"Peeta! Katniss says she can carry the suitcase by herself but I keep telling her is just too heavy!" yelled Prim from the stairwell. I smiled at her accusing tone.

"Excuse me," I said and they both nodded. I put the chair back and went to retrieve the suitcase. I went up the stairs and I found Katniss pulling a large suitcase that could not be that heavy. "May, I?" I asked sheepishly and she sighed in defeat.

"Fine," she said and handed it to me. It was heavy.

"What on earth are you taking?" I asked with a wide grin.

"My clothes," she answered innocently. She really was a bad liar. I raised an eyebrow. "And some knives, and other things." I laughed at this. Trust Katniss to be roaming around with thirty pounds of knives. I lifted it easily and went down the stairs. They followed closely. When we reached the end of the stairs, Prim went out to an appreciative Rory, she sat down next to him. Katniss lingered by the stairs and so did I.

"I guess we should go," she whispered sadly.

"We'll go whenever you're ready." I whispered and she nodded.

"Let's go." She said simply and walked towards the living room. "Mother, we have to go." She said firmly and I knew she was sad, but it was nothing compared to what would have happened if she'd been reaped. I had to remind myself this, otherwise I would have made her stay. It was risky, the peacekeepers would be patrolling the houses very soon. I left the suitcase next to the door and turned to Katniss being hugged by her mother.

"Have a good night," her mother said "and I'll see you tomorrow," she said and Katniss nodded. Then Hazelle hugged her and I was surprised to see Katniss was a lot more eager to receive a hug from her than her mother. I approached Moira to say goodbye.

"Good night, Moira, I thank you for a wonderful meal and amazing company." I meant to shake her hand but instead she hugged me.

"Welcome to our family, Peeta, you are more than welcome to come any time you want. This may not be much but consider it as a home available to you always." Her embrace was warm and comforting. I smiled gratefully at her. Hazelle did accept my handshake.

"Good bye, Peeta," she said with a smile. Katniss kissed Posy and patted Vick on the head.

"Do I get a kiss, Posy?" I asked her and knelt before her. She looked down while she approached me shyly and kissed me. She blushed furiously and hid behind her mother. I stretched out my hand to Vick and he shook it with a smile. I took the bag and we went out. Rory and Prim were standing by Prim's goat, Lady. When they saw us Prim ran to her sister. Rory stretched out a hand in my direction; I shook it with a smile.

"I have to go, little duck, but I'll see you tomorrow." She said and Prim hugged her. She looked sad but it was nothing compared to her pale appearance from the square.

"Goodnight, Katniss," she said and hugged her tightly. Then she let go and turned to me. "And good night, Peeta!" she said with a smile and hugged me again. "I'm glad she married you, Peeta," she whispered in my ear. To have one Everdeen girl approve of me meant more to me than I would have thought. "Not just because she stayed, but because you're nice. I like you," it had taken me less than two hours to make this little girl like me. Why, oh, why couldn't her sister be more like that?

"I like you, too, Prim. And just so you know, you can come to our house or the bakery any time you like you'll always be welcome there." she looked really excited.

When we reached the gate I opened the gate for Katniss to walk through. She was leaving home and she looked really sad about it . After spending one afternoon I understood I would miss living there too. I took her hand and she didn't let go. She didn't look at me when she whispered:

"I'm ready." I walked beside her in silence and I looked at the deep orange tainting the sky. The sun would set soon.

* * *

**Please leave a review if you have the time! Have a great week!**

**Next up: The new house**


	6. New House

**Sorry for the delay guys! Real life was catching up with me. **

**Just a heads up- I just wanted to let you know that in this story, District 12 is poor but not as poor as it was in the original story. I justify this mainly because the population is considered to be small so the resources are less scarce. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

We walked towards town without saying much. She looked sad and I didn't want to pry. However, when we got to the Bakery she surprised me by starting the conversation.

"Are we going to get your things now?"

"No, I already took them to the house while my dad finished the cookies." She seemed to relax when I said that. I felt bad at just how much she was dreading to meet my mother, not that I could blame her. Not that it would happen anytime soon, that was something that had to be carefully mapped out before it happened.

"Thank you again for those." I smiled at her. "The kids loved them so much I thought Vick was going to be sick." I laughed, because it was true. Vick looked green towards the end of the evening.

"No problem." We were a few feet away from the house now.

"So what does it look like from the inside?" She asked as we reached the fence.

"I don't know, I didn't go in. I just left my things by the door." She gave me a curious look for that. She reached the gate before me to let me through. I was curious to see what it looked like because it was one of the new houses from the District.

Many years ago, they had built a certain type of smaller residences all over the District. With the reaping, the constant increase of population made the Capitol realize that the houses available in the District were not fit to house five people. So, they decided to rebuild entire sections of the city. The project had been properly followed in most districts, however, in District 12 only some areas of the cities had been rebuilt. The new house was in one of those sections. The shops and the Seam had been neglected so they were not only smaller, but their entire structure was outdated. The Seam was affected by this way more than the merchant side, because the merchant side of the district could afford renovations, people on the Seam barely made it through the month with what the mines could provide for them. Let alone for any extra children they might conceive.

I reached the house first. There were some stairs, a small porch that wasn't really wide enough to use it for anything and the front door. I unlocked the door and Katniss walked in with a stubborn look on her face. I looked around the street. It was so dark that most of the neighbors had their lights on. Except for the house right in front of us that was completely dark. I suspected the Peacekeepers had already started their rounds, but they hadn't been through our house or there would be a note in the door.

The first part of the house was a dining-living room, to our immediate right there were two couches that would easily fit five people in total to the left, a dining room table and six chairs. Like every other house in the district, we had a screen that every citizen of Panem was entitled to have. The right wall also had a chimney that looked like a newer version of what we had in my house. It was what everyone got. Same color on the couches, same shapes, same fabric on the rug. There were several packages on the floor, who had clearly been put there recently as they had disturbed the fine layer of dust that covered everything else.

"What do you think is in there?" I asked as I pushed one of the boxes with my foot. Every box had a capitol seal. Katniss didn't seem to be interested in that, she was looking at the fireplace.

"Basic amenities." She said in a bored voice. "It said something in that paper we signed today at the reaping." I'd been so startled I hadn't paid much attention.

"Oh." Then I was very concerned about something that had the potential to ruin my happiness forever. I got up and went to the kitchen.

When I reached the door by the dining room that I assume was the kitchen I noticed that next to it was a flight stairs and another door that could either be a bathroom or a closet. But that didn't matter right now. I was right, the small kitchen was in the end of the house. And for what I could see in the window, we had a back yard.

"Peeta, what are you-" asked Katniss as she followed me into the small kitchen.

"I have to see this, Katniss! Make sure everything is fine." I leaned over the object of my interest and began a serious inspection. "It's not great, but it'll do."

"Why are you so concerned about the oven?" she asked and I rolled my eyes at her, I'd already picked up that habit from her.

"Katniss," I tried to look offended as I could when I spoke "You should know right now, that I am a very patient man," she looked serious and then she realized I was kidding "but I _can't,_ and I can't stress this point enough, I can't live in a house that doesn't has a bad oven." I said and she smiled.

"I didn't take you for a picky person," It had to be pathetic that her acknowledging that she thought of me, in any way at all, excited me.

"I'm not, usually. I'm just picky about baking or kitchens, and my drawing supplies, or I would be if I could afford them." I wish I had enough money to get some nice supplies, paint or even colored pencils. My mother was not to be bothered with such petty expenses.

"I understand," she said thoughtfully and then she seemed curious. "You draw?" she asked, how little she knew of me still.

"I do," I said and moved towards the door i'd noticed before next to the ice box. I opened it, we had a small yard, smaller than the one at my house. And by the corner, barely visible..."We have a tree!" I said excitedly and went down the two steps that separated us from a wild patch of grass and moved towards the feeble looking branch with one green leaf that could perhaps turn into a tree someday. I heard her very quiet and short lived laugh behind me. I turned to her in excitement.

"That's not a tree, it's a sad looking twig." She said and I tried to look offended again, she understood my expression better this time.

"I think, that if we take care of it properly, it can be a tree some day." I said and she shook her head while I touched the small leaf it had grown with a lot of effort. If it was growing even just one leaf, it meant it was alive.

"You sound like Prim." She said and I realized this was a compliment, an important sort of compliment coming from Katniss. It was obvious she thought I was being silly, but her laughter hadn't been mocking, it was indulgent. I was suddenly in very high spirits.

"Let's see the rest of the house!" I said excitedly, I'd never moved in my entire life, so getting a new room and house was slightly exciting. Admittedly, not as wonderfully dazing as the fact I would be sharing the house with the girl that was eyeing me curiously, but a novelty just the same.

She led the way upstairs and I followed her happily. There were four doors upstairs and a small hallway between them and at the end of the hallway, yet another door. So this was the improvement they had made in the newest homes in the District. More rooms. We went in the first room on the left, it seemed to be the room intended for us because of the queen sized bed.

I knew better than to say anything about it. There was a small wardrobe and another piece of furniture with nine drawers. A rug that seemed exactly the same as one I had seen downstairs and a door I couldn't figure out a use for. Unless it was a closet. I opened it, it was a small bathroom. It had a sink, a toilet and a tub. It also had running water, but there was an addition I did not recognize. It looked like a shower, but I did not understand, why they would have a bath and a shower at the same time. In my house, we had both but in separate bathrooms.

The next room was immediately in front of the one we had just left. It was smaller and had a child's bed and a desk and a wardrobe. I figured this is where I would be sleeping, I had little hopes that there would be anything bigger to sleep in elsewhere and this looked far more comfortable than the couch downstairs. To the right of this one there was a room exactly alike but without any furniture. It was the one that faced the street I noticed and took a peek. It was similar to the view I had at home. I could even see the bakery. Katniss looked around uninterested. She went into the next room while I inspected the door down the hall, it was another less spacious bathroom with just a shower. I didn't know they made houses with two whole bathrooms. In my house we had a second bathroom downstairs but it just had a sink and a toilet.

And then the last room had two wardrobes and to my dismay, a crib. They really didn't want us to waste any time. Katniss had entered the room first, so I saw her reaction before she could hide it. She looked immediately uncomfortable. It bothered her so much that I wondered how much I really understood her aversion for the whole thing. I thought of something to say to make it better, but I came up empty. Finally, after a moment she spoke again, trying to sound casual about it.

"We should unpack." I nodded. She left the room first.

* * *

"I'll help you with that." We'd been cleaning up for the past hour, the peacekeepers hadn't come yet but the tense silence from before remained, making it impossible for me to change her mood regardless of how much I tried.

"I can carry it." We had opened the different boxes from the capitol and we had found different items for every room. I'd taken the boxes that were meant for the rooms upstairs, Katniss had moved the other boxes to the kitchen and the dining room. Once that we were done locating the boxes and it's contents, we took some rags and began cleaning. We couldn't even put our clothes in the wardrobes because they were covered in dust. After that, Katniss attempted to take her suitcase upstairs and that's when I offered my assistance.

"Don't be silly." I said and I took it from her. Without discussing it, I went to the room with the larger bed.

"Peeta, no," said Katniss as she followed me in. "I can take the smaller bed. You're bigger." I shook my head.

"No, this should be more comfortable. Besides," I had already searched for an excuse in case she did this. "I can use that desk to draw." I smiled and she sighed, she couldn't argue that it made sense. I had just settled her suitcase on the bed when we heard the knock.

"Peacekeepers." She said quietly. I was suddenly nervous. I felt like a guilty child and I went over our every action, looking for something I could be blamed for, which was silly because we had done nothing wrong.

"I'll get it." I said and went downstairs. Unsurprisingly, Katniss followed suit.

"Hold on!" I said and I went as fast as possible. When I opened the door a tired looking peacekeeper looked at handheld screen. Behind him, his much younger partner looked quite energized and kept trying to looking beyond me. I had a hunch the younger one was the one Katniss knew.

"Mellark, Peeta?" he said reading of a piece of paper.

"Yes."

"We come here to make sure you and your wife," he looked down at the screen "Katniss Mellark are officially settled in, is she home?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yes, come in." Katniss was standing beside me with her arms crossed. She looked as reticent whenever there were people related to the Capitol around. They walked in shamelessly, the older man placed the screen he'd read our names from in the table and the younger one, who was holding a small suitcase walked in behind him, he placed it on the table as soon as he reached it. The older man was wearing the standard peacekeeper armor and I noticed it had the lastname Greff engraved on it. The younger one winked at Katniss as soon as he was sure that Greff wasn't looking. Katniss rolled his eyes at him and he hid a smile. It was definitely Darius.

Peacekeeper Greff opened the suitcase and retrieved what looked like a small crystal handgun but instead of a barrel it had a small needle. I became wary and so did Katniss, but Darius looked completely relaxed, which made me think we weren't in trouble.

"I can see you haven't unpacked, yet." Darius said as he looked at my suitcases while Greff pressed a button on the metal gun. It began buzzing softly before it turned completely blue and the needle retracted. He placed it down and looked at his screen again.

"We were cleaning up since we spent the afternoon celebrating with our family," I said as if I was still excited about that instead of annoyed by their presence.

"Believe me, you're not the only ones. We couldn't even find the last two couples." Said Darius with calm familiarity. Peacekeeper Greff ignored our conversation entirely and interrupted us when he was done setting up.

"Would you please come forth to make the official count?" We moved towards him. His eyes were still on the screen. He tapped on it with his finger from time to time.

"M, Mellark, here you are." He tapped it again and placed it down. "Peeta Mellark, you first." He said and I came forward. He took the small gun from the table "May I see your right forearm?" he said and I did as I was told. He held me by the wrist. "You'll feel a slight pressure," He put the gun against my skin and pulled on the trigger. Slight pressure my ass. I felt an intense pressure followed by a burning sensation. I sighed and he released me. The needle had punctured my skin and placed something under it. I could already see my skin reddening where he had given me the shot.

"Now Katniss Mellark." He did the same to her. She groaned a little and I put my arm around her shoulders when it was done. Greff turned around and placed the device on the table.

"What was that for?" Katniss tried not to sound annoyed and failed miserably. Darius answered with a smirk while the other man put the gun away.

"A health tracker. It will keep us updated of your health when we come inspect you. It's faster than making you go to see a healer at the Justice Building every month. This way I will be able to certify on every visit that you are both healthy and you have the ability to bear children. And when the time comes, I will be able to make sure that the fetus is healthy throughout the pregnancy." Katniss stiffened but hid it better than before. "Like this." He said and then he produced his own screen from his pocket. He placed it over the bump on my arm and then tapped. The screen went green. He did the same to Katniss and got the same result. "Now we know you are both able to have children. That's the first month's' clearance." He said with a smile. The other peacekeeper had finished putting his things away and was standing before us, ready to give a speech.

"Mr. Mellark, Mrs. Mellark, you have been officially registered and acquainted for. You are reminded that you are required to fill your quota in less than five years. Peacekeeper Darius will make sure that you act under Capitol rule. He will visit you on the dates specified but he may also come for an unplanned inspection if he deems it necessary. You are required to give an honest answer to all of his inquiries in each of his visits. If any violation should ensue, you will face the appropriate authorities. Remember that your citizen status can be revoked if you don't comply with the regulations. The date of our next visit will be a month from now. Have a good evening." He turned around and walked away. Darius waved goodbye when Greff had turned.

I followed them to the door and watched as they made their way to the next house. They clearly didn't like each other since they never exchanged a word. After closing the door and making sure it was locked I turned to see Katniss standing in the middle of the room inspecting her arm.

"At least that's over." I said and dropped on the couch. I put my face in my hands as a wave of profound relief washed over me. We wouldn't be bothered anymore, not for a whole month at least. Katniss surprised me by sitting right next to me. She crossed her arms and looked apprehensive.

"Do you think these health trackers are also location trackers? Because if they are, how am I supposed to go hunting?" I hadn't even thought of that.

"I don't… I actually have no idea. I didn't even know they did this. Rye never mentioned it." Then again it wasn't like my older brother and I were the best of friends. We didn't talk to each other that often.

"I'll ask Darius tomorrow, if I can find him." I nodded.

"How did you meet Darius?" I realized I had never really spoken to a Peacekeeper. So I wondered how a friendship between them had even happened.

"Through Gale." That didn't look like a subject she wanted to discuss. I could see that he meant something to her, and her entire family, but I was afraid to ask about him since I knew how defensive Katniss could get. So regardless of how curious I was, I went on a different direction.

"You didn't trade with peacekeepers before that?"

"No," she said with some disgust in her face "Peacekeepers are off limits unless you know them beforehand. I only trade with a handful and only because they know I trade game. Other girls usually come to them for different reasons." She said with her brow furrowed. My stomach churned with disgust, I was so grateful Katniss knew how to hunt, I cringed at the thought of her having to submit herself to what other girls had to turn to put food on their table. "At first I came with Gale so they knew it was different." How could I have been anything but glad that Gale had been in her life?

"It's a good thing he was there," I said and she nodded but said nothing. I thought of something else to say, but I was getting tired. The weight of the day was finally catching up with me. I still had to clean the kitchen, the ice box had a very disgusting smell coming from it and I had no intention of letting it get worse.

"I think we should sleep in the same room tonight." Her words took me completely by surprise. She was in the same position as before, sitting beside me with her arms crossed. Her eyes were fixated ahead, purposely avoiding my gaze.

"What? Why?" She looked at me and I immediately noticed that her face was completely flushed. I'd never seen her so embarrassed.

"Because what if someone comes unexpectedly and we're in different rooms?"

"Do you really think they would come in the middle of the night?"

"They do it in the Seam all the time. Mostly because the Peacekeepers that handle the Seam are perverts, but either way… if they come and they catch us asleep…" I nodded, suddenly terrified at the prospect of sleeping in the same bed as her. I could come up with a hundred scenarios where I'd end up embarrassing myself.

"Ok, I guess you're right." I tried to control my anxiety and focused on taking things one step at a time. "We can do that." My voice shook and I wanted to slap my own face to snap out of it. She gave me a stiff nod and went upstairs. For a moment I didn't move. I was terrified. Then I remembered the ice box and decided that would be a valuable way to spend my time.

* * *

Caesar Flickerman's voice had erupted from the screen on the living room when I was cleaning the kitchen. Technically we were supposed to watch the recap of the reaping ceremony, but I had no interest in doing it. Katniss seemed to think the same because after announcing our sleeping arrangements she had gone upstairs and I didn't hear her come down when the show started. I left the door open in the kitchen while I cleaned but I decided not to watch it. It seemed excessive to give the Capitol even an hour of my life when they had robbed us of so much already. Besides, everyone at the Bakery discussed the reaping the day after. I would hear everything I needed to know and more about it in the comfort of the bakery's kitchen.

Forty five minutes later, the ice box, the oven and the entire kitchen were spotless. When I was overcome with anxiety I cleaned or baked, these outlets had been forced on me because of my profession. It was almost ten and I had to sleep if I had any hope of waking up tomorrow before five. My shift only started that late because my dad woke up at two to start baking. Now that I was officially and employee, my working hours were dictated by the Justice Building and not by my mother. My shift would be from 5:00 am until 6:00 pm with Sundays off. It sounded exciting compared to the hours my mother forced me to endure most of my childhood. My dad had always taken the earliest shift since my brothers and I had to go to school. So in conclusion, I really had to stop avoiding it and go upstairs and get some sleep. I was so exhausted every blink was a constant struggle to stay awake.

I hoped that my exhaustion would dim my nervousness, but the closer I got to the room, the stronger my heart pounded against my chest. When I reached the end of the stairs her room was closed, _she must be changing, _I thought. I was overwhelmed by another wave of tension. It's not that I wasn't looking forward to being close to her. I was excited. Maybe too excited. My body didn't exactly react the way that I wanted it to, least of all when we were close. So I was terrified of the prospect of being betrayed by it. The last thing Katniss needed was as a horny teenage boy sleeping beside her. She needed a friend, and that's what I would have to be right now.

I had already brought my things into the room where I would sleep everyday. So before I went to Katniss' room, I went to my own room and changed into my pajamas. I blushed furiously when I thought of Katniss seeing me in the pale blue pajamas my dad had given me last Christmas. When I emerged from my room her door was open and the lights were out except for what I expected was the light to the bathroom. I braced myself for the embarrassment I had the potential of causing myself and I went in her room.

I was right, the bathroom door was open and the light in there was on. The atmosphere was heavy with humidity.

"I hope you don't mind." Katniss startled me, she was sitting on the edge of the bed when she said this. Her fingers braiding her damp hair into a loose braid. "I took a shower, it seemed like a good way to calm down." The sight of her left me breathless. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that was so long it reached almost half her thighs. The fabric was worn out so if she moved even a little, her right shoulder would be completely bare. Under the shirt I could see she was wearing cotton shorts, but they were so short her legs were mostly exposed. I hoped dearly that the lack of light in the room would conceal my furious blush. I wanted to punch myself for thinking I could be casual about this. I had wanted her for too long to be indifferent to her beauty. "I left the light on, in case you wanted to use the bathroom."

It took me a second, but I regained my ability to speak. "No, it's ok. I brushed my teeth in the bathroom down the hall. I went in and tried to think of anything but Katniss as I turned the lights of the bathroom off. But it was pointless, when I turned around she was getting into bed. Her movements were entirely innocent, clearly she had no idea of what she was doing to me, but the idea of joining her in a bed that suddenly seemed so narrow caused me to react in ways that were not appropriate. Every muscle in my body tensed and I walked towards the bed, hoping to find a way to relax a little bit. It seemed unlikely.

I couldn't see anything but it was clear to me that she was also tense, but in a different way. She moved as far away from me as possible when I finally joined her in bed and my desire took a blow when I noticed that. Regardless of what I would like to imagine, Katniss didn't want me. We could live in the same house, hell, we could be married, but she didn't know me. Which I felt guilty about, because I had only talked to her when I had no choice. If we had even been friends before getting married, this would be easier.

Katniss was on her side of the bed, as tense as I was as she tried to remain on her side. How were we supposed to sleep like this? I turned to be lying on my side.

"Katniss?" I decided I had to do something about it.

"Yes?" She asked.

"This is ridiculous. If we keep acting like we don't know each other we are not going to be able to sleep." My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, her face turned towards me but I couldn't see her features.

"But we don't know each other." I was grateful she was even answering.

"Exactly. So I think we should start. Let's talk." I was suddenly excited. This might just work.

"Right now?" She sounded surprised but she was still talking. The trick with Katniss was, make her keep talking.

"Yes! When else?" I propped my head on my right hand. This position allowed me to leave more space between us.

"I'm not so good at talking." I wondered how many times she'd used this excuse.

"Good thing I am! So tell me," I couldn't start with something too personal, in case she didn't want to share. But aside from what I had gathered through the years, I didn't know anything about her. "What's your favorite color?" My eyes were almost fully adjusted now so I saw her eyes rolling.

"Really? You'll know me as a person when you know my favorite color?"

"Katniss! You have to answer the question! And then is your turn to ask a question. Otherwise this won't work. We may be allies, Katniss, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, too. In fact I think our lives will be a whole lot easier if we are friends." I felt like I was demanding it at this point. I was patient, but Katniss seemed to require direct communication of my intentions. So that was exactly what I would do. I would explicitly tell her what I wanted.

"Fine," she said reluctantly. After a pause, she said, "I guess… green. Like the forest." I didn't really think I would make it this far. I smiled.

"That's great." I waited. "It's your turn." She hesitated.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked and I chuckled.

"Nice, Katniss. Very original." She frowned in the dark.

"I couldn't come up with anything!" She was relaxing already.

"Then my favorite color is orange. Like the sunset." She laid on her side, her head on her hand. "My turn!" I said excitedly. "Why on earth do you need so many knives?" she smiled widely.

"I need them to hunt! They have different purposes. Some I use for hunting, some for protection. You can't just wander into the forest and not have a way of defending yourself. My bow works most of the times, but if I came too close to any large animal it would be useless." This conversation wasn't helping my sleep. I was so interested I wanted to stay awake.

"Where do you keep your bow? Can I see it?" She shook her head.

"No, that's three questions in a row. It's my turn." I tried to look offended but she was into the game so I was mostly excited.

"Why didn't you marry Delly?" If anything, Katniss knew how to take me by surprise.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Why didn't you marry Delly? If you dated in junior high-" I began shaking my head and I was so determined to stop her I almost sat up.

"Delly and I never dated, Katniss. What are you talking about?"

"When we were in school you were always together, I just thought you might be together."

"No, no. Delly and I were always good friends, but that's about it. Once I even convinced her we were brother and sister so she wouldn't kiss me." She laughed at that.

"What?" Her laughter was just such a great sound.

"Yes, we were seven. In Mrs. Mallen's class, remember?" She nodded. "She woke up one day and decided she wanted to kiss me. I tried to say no, but she wouldn't listen. So I told her we couldn't because we were brother and sister and she let me be." Katniss laughed and I joined in. How I ever convinced Delly that we were related when we clearly had different parents and lived in different houses I would never know, but she believed me and I was left alone.

"That's ridiculous." I nodded. "How did she even- you have a way with words, I guess." I smiled.

"My turn." I said and she looked resigned. "What is your first memory?" She sighed and laid on her back as she contemplated her answer.

"I don't think it's a memory, not a whole one anyway." Her eyes were on me. I shrugged. "I must have been three or four, I can't tell, but it was before we had to go to school. My dad would go to the mines and my mother struggled to keep me from running out to go with him." I smiled. The image of a stubborn four year old Katniss was endearing. "But whenever it was time for him to come back, I would wait by the door until we could hear the bell ringing from the mines and I would run out. At first my mom would stop me, then she would just let me go. I would run as fast as I could to meet my dad halfway, but he always seemed to walk faster." She smiled as she said this. "So I guess my first memory would be how when he finally picked me up, I would bury my face in his neck. And it smelled like coal and like my dad and I loved it." I never got to see her like this. So relaxed, talking about herself. I began relaxing and the more I relaxed, the more tired I felt. It had been such a long day.

"That's a great memory," I said with a yawn. "I think I remember your dad, some. Once I saw him passing through the bakery, you were with him. He was humming to himself and you were laughing." She turned to me and smiled warmly.

"I don't remember that."

"It was just any other day, I guess." She nodded.

"Must have been." She yawned, too. "I'm tired, can we talk tomorrow?" My eyes closed as I smiled.

"Of course." I felt her shifting on the bed. I put my hands on my chest and began to doze off.

"Good night, Peeta." She whispered.

"Good night, Katniss." I fell asleep thinking about all the other questions I still wanted to ask, and all the time I had ahead of me to ask them.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Whatever you thought I'd really appreciate a review! That way I know someone is reading this :)**

**Coming up: Married Life **

**I'll try to post on the same schedule as usual! Thanks for reading. **


	7. Married Life

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Peeta**

At first I thought I was dreaming since I was not in my room. My confusion grew since my memories seemed too good to be true. I looked to my right and sure enough, there she was. She was sleeping on her side in a fetal position, her back was touching my side. I smiled when I remembered how several times during the night she had moved towards me. I'd been on my best behavior though, sticking strictly to my side of the bed, but Katniss had been all over the place. She looked so relaxed, so peaceful it was difficult as hell not to stretch out and touch her. I settled for brushing the back of my hand against her forearm. She slept deeply, so it didn't bother her.

The image of her sleeping figure accompanied me during my morning routine. I caught myself smiling for no reason as I remembered bits of our conversation last night. I was so excited all to come back and ask more questions. It didn't matter how long I had kept tabs on her from a distance, she was still a mystery and now I would get to find more about who she was. It was so thrilling to have something to look forward to with such intensity, it was hard to care about anything else.

I went downstairs and realized we didn't have enough food to make breakfast. I decided to eat at the bakery and get something so Katniss could eat, too. We had some food provided by the Capitol, I'd seen what was still edible last night when I cleaned the kitchen. What I had been able to rescue was some tea, which was common enough; some flour and a small jar of sugar. I made myself a cup of tea and with time to spare, I looked around the new house and even went outside in our backyard. The silence of the morning always soothed me, the changing colors of the sky always made me smile. I took my tea and ate on the steps of the backyard, watching the remaining stars fading until the light was bright enough for me to go.

Leaving at this hour, I could see the district slowly coming to life. The house next to ours seemed to be vacant, or maybe their inhabitants were not early risers. The house directly in front of ours seemed shut down and there was no movement to be seen, but I could easily hear the noises of geese rambling around the backyard. On the left of that house I could see an older woman waving goodbye to her husband that I thought worked at the grocer's. Everyone else was asleep, like Katniss.

As soon as I crossed the side door I felt as if nothing had changed and I had just come down the stairs to eat something before work. It all looked the same, why shouldn't it when I lived here up to a day ago. I just felt different, and in a way I knew this was true. The kitchen was already warm and heavy with the scent of bread my father had already made. Some of it was still in the oven so I did a quick check up to know what had to be taken out soon. We used to make little tables with the times we had put the trays in, but after so many years, I had no difficulty guessing by the way the bread looked how much time it needed.

I swept the shop and cleaned the counters and the displays from leftover crumbs my father had missed on his last cleaning. I began making more bread. My dad always baked some and then went upstairs either to get ready or to take a shower. I usually knew which one of the two would be depending on how far ahead he'd gotten with baking. If I was correct, he would shower today, which gave me some extra time to begin a batch of cheese buns. My mother wouldn't be up until eight or nine. She never woke up unless she had to.

"Good morning, son!" My dad said cheerily when he came down the stairs. "How are you this morning?" He said with a smile.

"Great dad. I'm just starting some cheese buns and the loaves of rye should be done pretty soon." He always nodded, unimpressed but secretly proud. He trusted me entirely with the baking. Then he looked confused.

"But, where's Katniss? Won't she be working with us?" it was customary that she would, but why would I want Katniss to be customary and stop her from what she loved the most.

"We haven't really decided on that point dad, besides I think her hunting might result in a better income for us," All lies, of course. I had no idea of what Katniss' hunting worked or how her trades translated into coins, but either way I had no intention of taking any of her money. That was hers, and her family's, with my wages I would be able to support us both easily. Not that we had talked about that, I was suddenly wondering what her reaction would be when we did. "But If we need her help I doubt she'll be unwilling to help." This was true up to a certain point, I doubted she would be anywhere near happy to work near or for my mother. "We just need to settle down, it's all happened so fast," I said referring to the fact that people in the District thought we could get an entire life sorted out overnight.

"Of course, you do, son!" he said and he grinned carefree once more his hands on my shoulders "I am so happy for you! Whatever Katniss does is fine with us," again, my father with the unrealistic plural. "You should bring her over sometime, however, so that she might meet her new family. And if she doesn't want to work in here, she can always do the deliveries." That was actually a good idea, especially since we didn't know if the tracker would stop her from hunting. We had been struggling to manage deliveries since Miche left. He had always prefered to wonder around instead of being locked in, so he usually took care of those. "Katniss seems like the kind of person that enjoys being outdoors." He winked at me. His allusion to her illegal hunting was endearing.

"That does sound like her." I smiled. "I'll tell her tonight." He seemed satisfied.

"Better get to work!" He said excited and went to the front of the bakery to start setting up the displays and the ledger we used to keep track of every sale. I put the cheese buns in the oven and put the finished bread to cool. Sadly, my mother lived in this house, too. So I was in the process of kneading the dough for our cheapest loaf when she came down the stairs.

"You stupid, stupid, boy!" her voice was harsh, piercing through me with the hatred that I'd become so accustomed to. I sighed and kept my eyes on what I was doing.

"Good morning, mother," I said and didn't look up from my work to her hear steps going from the stairwell to the other side of the room where she was standing next to me.

"What were you thinking marrying that- that…. _girl," _she almost spat the word. "Were you really that desperate to find someone that you sunk to their level? That beggar? That filthy little Seam brat that I had to chase away from our trash can?" She still hadn't let it go, after all these years. I stopped what I was doing for a second and took a deep breath.

"Mother," I said hoping to make myself clear "you may dislike my choice of a wife but I will not let you insult her in my presence," I said and she sneered at me.

"I can say whatever I want. If you don't like it, maybe you should find work at the mines. Even someone as idiotic as you can do that work." She had been threatening me with the mines for years. Forget the fact that my dad's family had owned the Bakery for generations and it was actually his. I stopped working and started cleaning my hands with a rag. I had expected this reaction.

"The only reason why I don't do it is because it's my father's bakery and I like what I do. But if you don't like it, I'll go, just remember you'll regret your choice." She laughed at that. Her laughter was poisonous, not something you wanted to encourage.

"I don't need you, boy. You're just another worker, any moron can you do what you do here. Look at your father, he managed this business alone before you were born." She looked at me like she had outsmarted me. But for all her talk, my mother was not as smart as she believed herself to be.

"Then you can go ahead and explain to the peacekeepers why you're suddenly out of a baker. They really love the paperwork that comes when people change their assigned profession after a reaping." This was true. Everyone did their best to avoid inconveniencing the peacekeepers, especially after a reaping which was their busiest time of the year. "You can also tell my father how he will have to get an apprentice and teach him enough to begin to sustain the business, while still doing all the work around here. And during this whole time you'll have to make do with the money you will lose, you know how apprentices can be clumsy and waste precious ingredients." That really bothered her. "Or you can stop insulting my wife and let me work in peace." My anger was pouring out of me now, I'd never talked to her like that fearing the repercussions. I didn't live with her anymore so if she wanted to do something to me, she'd have to do it during work hours, which she tried to avoid. We couldn't work if she hurt us too bad.

"You have a lot of nerve talking to me like that in my own house." she said a little less brave than before but still just as angry. You could see it in her eyes how she was plotting what to do next. That silent contemplation usually meant she was planning some form of physical punishment. When we were younger she had less patience and our bodies weaker, so a slap or a punch were enough. As we got older she had to think about what to do with us to be able to inflict more pain, since we had learned to take it. "I won't say anything about your little whore," I looked up at her in defiance she flinched slightly "your _wife_," it sounded just as offensive with the tone she was using "but if you bring her here, you better keep her in the back where she belongs." I was so angry that I felt pressure on my temples and my face was flushed. I wanted to tell her what I really thought, more than ever, but I thought of my father. I got to leave but he had to live with her. Then she looked at me as if it was the first time she had ever really seen me. "I would've rather have you reaped than married to Seam filth." She turned around and left. I had no doubt she meant her every word. She hadn't done anything now, which mean she'd do something later. Maybe I would trip, or cut myself by accident today. Sometimes she was far more subtle, so she would just submit us to hours of manual labor. It wouldn't surprise me if suddenly the flour bags in the cellar needed rearranging. Either way, Katniss would not come close to the Bakery for now. I didn't care much of what she did to me but if she touched Katniss, I feared of what I would do.

My father walked in after a moment, he had heard everything and he looked ashamed. I was really angry so I avoided meeting his gaze. My anger was not directed at him but it still baffled me how he didn't just leave her. He could give her money, there was no need to throw her in the streets, but he could leave her. After you covered your quota no one really cared about what you did with your life. He didn't try to say anything comforting, which I appreciated. Instead, he said something far better.

"Since now you're an employee, you can have up to two short breaks during the day. And a long one to have lunch. If you need a moment son, you can go ahead and take a minute." I looked at the cheese buns. I hoped Katniss hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

I packed some cheese buns into a bag and walked back to the house. I felt like it was the middle of the day but in reality it was ten past nine. When I made it home the house was silent. I went upstairs as quietly as possible and saw that she was still asleep. I went back downstairs and left the food I'd brought for her with a note. The fact that I could do things like these quickly turned my mood around again and when I walked back to work, I was already smiling again.

* * *

**Katniss**

I opened my eyes slowly, immediately noticing the lack of Prim's tiny body next to mine. Then I noticed the large bed and the foreign bedroom and I remembered where I was. I sighed and rubbed my face. The house was entirely quiet, so Peeta must have left already. He was so loud I felt like I could hear him even if he was sitting still. The light outside the room had to mean it was past nine. I hadn't planned to hunt today since I was afraid that the tracker would let the peacekeepers know where I was. But I needed to make a quick trip to the edge of the woods to gather some plants for my mother and after I was going to make my way to the Hob. I had to find Darius. I looked at my arm, the furious red mark that had appeared on it when they put the tracker in was gone, but I could still see where they had inserted it. I was going to lose my mind if I couldn't learn exactly what it did.

I noticed the brown package as soon as I reached the dining room. I approached it and noticed it had a note with my name on it.

_There's nothing in the house so I got you breakfast. Hope you enjoy them. Peeta. _

The brown bag was still warm. I opened it to find three buns. I took one excitedly and bit into it. They were filled with cheese. They were so good that I almost groaned. I was glad Peeta wasn't here to see this. Then my thoughts turned bitter. Why did he keep doing things like this? No one was this nice for no reason.

I finished the first bun and took the other two with me. I'd eat more later, I just wanted to get going. I headed towards the woods, I needed to feel like myself for a while. I felt like it had been a long while since the last time I'd been here but it hadn't. I realized yesterday made everything feel further away. My brain seemed reluctant to accept my entire life had changed so much in so little time. I stopped in front of the fence and thought about the tracker. My mom really needed the herbs so I would have to go sooner and later. I thought I might as well do it now and I went anyway. I was tense but just being in the woods made me feel better.

I gathered what I needed as fast as possible. I took in my surroundings and I felt privileged to be here. It could've been different so easily. Out of habit, I checked the snares that were nearby. There was a fat rabbit in there. This was convenient. I could trade it for some things for the house. That way we would have something to eat tonight. I also found a lot of apples, that I couldn't help to gather. They were common enough this time of year so it was pointless to try to trade them. I looked around once more, hoping this wasn't the last time I would be able to come here and I left. As soon as I was on the other side of the fence I took another bun and made my way back to my house to deliver the plants to my mom. Since I was eating his delicious bread, I thought about Peeta again. I was uncomfortable with the way things were developing between us, and it took me a minute to realize why. As I took a final bite of the bread it seemed obvious.

Peeta kept doing nice things for me. Like the talking to make us comfortable, or the bread, or the cookies he'd brought for dinner. Or even marrying me. He had done all of this and I hadn't done anything for him. I felt like I owed him so much already, and I hated it. This gave me a new sense of purpose. I'd do something nice for Peeta and I would feel better.

"Katniss!" My mom said excitedly when I came in the house. It was still a little unnerving to hear just how happy she was to see me. She had really worried about me being reaped.

"Hi," I said and put my bag on the floor like everything was still the same. I started taking out the bag where I kept her herbs. She was boiling water and using some strongly scented herbs she used for some medicine. "I brought you these," I said and handed them to her. She nodded.

"Thank you," she said excitedly. "How are you?" she said looking into my eyes instead of just going about her business.

"I'm fine," I said simply and she nodded. The attention was making me uncomfortable.

"Where's Peeta?" I guessed I would have to get used to that question. Not that I knew the exact answer, but I needed to keep up appearances.

"At the bakery," I said simply and she nodded.

"Doesn't he need you to help out in there?" she asked as she started cleaning her herbs. I took the rabbit I've gotten out of my game bag and made my way to the back of the house to start cleaning it. She followed me.

"No," He hadn't said anything about it at least. "He said I could do whatever I wanted." I said and my mother gave me a stern look. She was thinking about what to say. She always had to be careful with what she told me since most of the times I took it personal and I ended up arguing with her. Not that I liked it, but she had a way of getting on my nerves.

"You should ask him. Perhaps he doesn't know how to ask." I scowled.

"If he needed my help he'd say something. Besides, his mother is there," I said with disgust.

"Katniss, she is your mother in law now," the words made it worse.

"She hates me," I said simply and my mother didn't even say otherwise.

"Eudora may be a difficult woman, but she is Peeta's mother." I rolled my eyes. This meant nothing to me. In my opinion if someone treated you badly, they didn't deserve your respect. It didn't matter who they were.

"Don't tell _me_, she's the one who treats her family like crap. And excuse me for not wanting to add my name to the list of people she abuses." She sighed and walked away. Just as good, I didn't want to talk to her about this. I wanted to finish this quickly and get to the Hob.

"I'm going to the Hob. I'll be-" I was about to say I'd be home before six. Then I remembered I didn't live here. "See you soon."

The rabbit wasn't too big, but it got me enough to buy some vegetables and oil. Now we would at least have something in the house. I was making my way to find Darius, who was usually at the Hob at this hour, when Greasy Sae stopped me for an unexpected hug.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" She smiled widely and gave me a tight hug. "Sit down! You can eat on the house today! I was so worried about you, Katniss. I thought you were going to be on that train." She looked genuinely sad.

"I'm sorry, Sae. I wanted to tell you, but-"

"It doesn't matter now. I'm just glad you're here. And you married the baker's boy!" She said this with great pride.

"You know Peeta?" She was completely delighted.

"I didn't know his name but I know he's the baker's boy. If you bring him here he can also have a meal on the house!" I thanked her but wondered if I would ever do that. The Hob and Peeta were contradictory to me. I didn't even know if he would want to come here. But I couldn't be rude since she was being so generous.

"I'll bring him one of these days, Sae." She nodded.

"Good. Since I didn't go to the toasting the least you can do is bring that boy to me so you can introduce us properly." She placed a hot bowl of soup in front of me. I was going to argue that we didn't have a toasting when I was interrupted.

"Yeah, Katniss, bring him over and introduce us properly." Darius was standing right behind me, getting closer because he knew it made me uncomfortable. I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed. "What? I can't be excited for you?" I smiled reluctantly at him and let him hug me. "I'm glad you stayed, kiddo." This exchange with a peacekeeper was only admitted because it was Darius and everyone at the Hob liked and cared about him. He was from the capitol originally, but he had been here for so long and he had helped so many of us that we considered him to be one of us.

"I'm glad, too. And I was looking for you, I need to ask you something." Darius wiggled his eyebrows at me and took a seat beside me. Sae quickly set a plate of food in front of him.

"Are you already planning on cheating on the merchant kid? Cause I'll be down for that." He winked and Sae smacked his hand with a wooden spoon. I was so surprised I burst out laughing.

"Darius! Don't be disrespectful! She's a married woman now, and the baker's boy seems like a nice person." He was rubbing his hand, Sae knew how to use a spoon.

"Yes, I'm a married woman, Darius. You can't say shit like that to me anymore." He returned to his usual cocky grin.

"Come on, Katniss. I know you want me, it's just a matter of days before you realize it." Sae threw him a dirty look and I laughed again when I saw him immediately moving his hands away from where she could see them. "I'm kidding, Sae! I respect her and her husband!" Sae walked away looking pleased. "So what did you want to ask?" He still gave me a meaningful look. I glared at him before saying anything. I knew I had to be careful, he couldn't know why I was asking this. I lowered my voice as much as I could even though the only person on Sae's stand was Haymitch the town drunk and he looked like he'd passed out on the counter.

"I wanted to know about this stupid tracker you put on me?" I often asked him things that weren't appropriate to ask a peacekeeper. They were secrets the district citizens were not supposed to know. But Darius knew that I had a particular interest in things that could affect my hunting so he didn't really flinch when I asked. He caught on quickly.

"They're nothing special, kiddo. These puppies came out a while ago. Mostly because of a particular complaint in District 11." I ate my soup trying to seem less interested than I already was.

"What happened?" He ate some of his soup, too. Darius loved to gossip. And what he loved most about that was having something good to share. So when he did, he enjoyed every second of it.

"A reaped woman from district six was taken to eleven after the reaping. She was paired up with a landowner from there and they were supposed to fill their quota. After two years the woman was still not pregnant even when their health report said they were both perfectly healthy and able to bear children. I personally think they would have left them alone, which would have bought them more time. Most peacekeepers get so many couples at a time it's hard to keep track of it all. But as it turns out, they were a nightmare. They openly expressed how much they hated each other and several times the peacekeepers had to stop them from fighting."

"So he beat her?" Darius wiped his mouth and laughed.

"That would've been more simple. But it was worse, they were both insane. They did their best to hurt each other. He was sent to the healer more than once because she would wait till he was asleep to hit him with a crowbar, or whatever she could reach. One day he beat her up so badly that they had to take her to the capitol to make sure she survived. That's when they realized she had been taking some sort of medicine to stop herself from being pregnant." That took some courage. Birth control was strictly prohibited. What was impressive was that she managed to get some at all.

"What happened to her?" He shrugged as he took in a mouthful of soup.

"They kept her there in the Capitol. What she did was an act of treason, traitors are not tolerated in Panem." He said the last part with a funny voice, clearly trying to inject some humor into the dreary topic. I wasn't amused. I was terrified.

"What happened to their husband?" My voice was low, so low that I could hear Haymitch snoring.

"When they were sure beyond doubt that he didn't know what she was doing, he was assigned a new wife so he could fill his quota. And he did."

"So the trackers…" I tried my best to look like I didn't really care. I ate some more even though my stomach didn't feel like it could take any food.

"They're mostly to detect fertility and that you're not taking anything to stop yourself from getting pregnant. So don't worry about it… they can't tell where you are because you're wearing one." I sighed with relief.

"So that's all they do?" I pretended to be unimpressed. He took the bait.

"Yeah, but I mean they have other features. The people who manage them can get really specific about the information they get from them if they want to."

"Like what?" He shrugged.

"I don't know, like how many times a week you have sex, fertility patterns, they can even see if your diet is affecting to your reproductive health or some nonsense," He looked extremely casual about it. I was so tense it was hard to stay focused on his words. "But I wouldn't worry about that. Nobody actually gives a damn about the tracker."

"Why not if they make us wear it?" He shook his head.

"Because all of the information extracted from the trackers has to be analyzed by specialists. Peacekeepers are only taught the basics but I can't read all the healing gibberish. And do you have any idea how many people you need to analyze the every move of over two hundred people? That's why complete analysis are not done unless ordered by the peacekeeper in charge." This calmed me down a little, but not too much. Darius got a mischievous look on his face.

"Which in your case is me." I rolled my eyes, the implication was obvious.

"You are such a pervert, Darius. You better not snoop around my private life." He laughed, I knew he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't snoop on my sex life the same way he didn't meddle when Gale and I hunted.

"Katniss, I would only be interested in your sex life if I was included in it." This time I was the one to hit his hand with my spoon. "I guess I deserved that." He didn't look repentant at all.

"I gotta go. Thanks, Sae!" I told her and she grinned at me once more. She was too busy to come over and say hi. "See you around, Darius." He winked at me and I left. I was still trying to process the information Darius had given me when I made my way back to the house.

* * *

**Peeta**

My mother managed to put a damper on my good mood. It was a busy day but it was also quiet since my dad seemed to be doing a hundred things and my mother and I had made an effort to not be in each other's way. Like every night, my dad gave me the bread that hadn't been sold by the evening. This time, though, instead of just putting it in the table he put it in a bag for me to take. He reminded me about the delivery job for Katniss, and I left. By six I was on my way to the house. The lights were on and when I entered I couldn't help to smile. Katniss had cleaned up the house and somehow she had made it look cozy. I heard her moving in the kitchen.

"Wow, this place feels so different." I said as I closed the door. Katniss walked out of the kitchen and looked unfazed by my admiration. She wasn't exactly jumping up and down in excitement to see me, but she didn't look bothered either. I took what I could get. Like in her house, there was now a tin can filled with dandelions. I smiled widely at how that small detail brightened up the room. And just like that, I was in a better mood. Not because of the flowers, but because maybe this was a way in which she could start seeing this place as home.

"It's finally clean. Prim stopped by and helped me clean it up. She also brought flowers and," she went into the kitchen and came back with a little well wrapped package "some goat cheese for you."

"Is this from Lady? She really shouldn't have. I wish I'd known, I would have brought her something from the bakery as a thank you." She looked uncomfortable.

"You don't have to-" I looked at her with raised eyebrows and she rolled her eyes. "She'd love it and it would be a nice present but-" She gave me another look. "You really don't have to." She was so stubborn. It made me smile.

"I know. But I want to." I took my jacket off and put it on one of the chairs, I placed the bread on the table. There was a book there that I hadn't seen before, it looked worn but well taken care of. "You did a great job, it looks so much better." She nodded but didn't say anything. This woman did not know how to take a compliment.

"I got some things at the Hob, so we could have dinner tonight." That sounded so much more exciting than my day.

"That sounds so cool." She looked at me like I was from another planet and I guess my enthusiasm did seem out of proportion, but it was forbidden so it sounded great. "I mean, it just sounds like things happen in there." I don't know what tone I used but it made her laugh.

"It's just the Hob. Is not exactly pretty, or even clean." She wrinkled her nose a little bit.

"It sounds awesome just the same. I got some bread, it's not fresh," I said with mild embarrassment "We get to take the bread that isn't sold at night. So it's kind of stale. We can do things to it to make it taste better, but I'll warn you it's not great, you don't have to eat it."

"It's great, Peeta." Her voice had softened, it took me a moment to realize she was reassuring me.

"You'll get tired of it soon enough. But if there's something from the bakery you want fresh, let me know and I'll bring it to you."

"You don't-" she began.

"Don't even say it." I said with a smile and she stopped herself.

"Well if there's anything that you want from the Hob, just let me know." I smiled widely.

"I will. So what did you get?" She showed me the vegetables she'd gotten and we decided to make some soup for dinner. I insisted on cooking since she had cleaned, she didn't like it but she allowed me to do it while she cleaned up the dishes I used.

"My father wanted to let you know that you are welcome to work in the bakery." She looked at me as she dried some of the capitol given dishes she'd washed earlier today. "I told him we hadn't decided, so you can choose whether you work with us or not."

"Do _you _want me to work there?" She said looking inadequate.

"I want you to do what you want. Either way you'll still be receiving a salary." Her brow furrowed.

"Why?"

"Because we said at the Justice Building that we would work at the bakery so you would get paid. The Justice Building sends a letter when your business hires a new citizen and tells you about their rights and responsibilities." She thought about it long and hard. I could see her reluctance and I thought I knew just why she didn't want to go to work. "I said no right away, but my dad said maybe you could be in charge of the deliveries. Which means you'd spend most of your time away from the bakery." That seemed to change her mind.

"Oh," I smiled at how much her expression changed. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"I just wanted to let you know you have that option," I lowered my voice even though we were inside. It was never safe to speak about delicate matters like this. "especially since we don't know if the tracker can tell the peacekeepers your location. You can take your time to decide." I finished the soup and poured it on two bowls. We heated up the bread and sat down at the dining room table.

"I talked to Darius today, about the tracker." Her voice was softer, too. We ate slowly, I certainly had no rush to finish our first meal together in the house.

"What did he say?" This was exactly the kind of exciting thing I had talked about earlier that could only happen at the Hob. I was tense, though, what she had learned could change our lives.

"The trackers can't tell the peacekeepers where I am. But they tell them everything they need to know about us. He didn't seem to think they were a big deal, he says they never pay attention to the information they get anyway. It's like they don't even care, as long as you don't cause any trouble." I was suddenly excited. Maybe what I had promised her when I asked her to marry her was not so far-fetched.

"So we should be fine, then." She sighed, and maybe I imagined it because I was so excited, but her eyes looked brighter for a moment.

"I think so." A little smile appeared on her lips, which she quickly repressed. "I mean, it will buy us more time until we find something else." I grinned widely. "But in the meantime, yes, we should be fine."

"Great." I grinned widely and she seemed relaxed. "Was it my turn to ask a question?" She rolled her eyes. But she didn't look mad. I think she made an effort to look hostile sometimes, but at the same time I had a feeling she was warming up to me.

"No. I think it was my turn." I got up and cleared the table, she immediately followed and helped me clean up. Then I noticed there were several apples on the table. I looked at them and she answered before I asked the question. "I found them in the woods." I smiled and grabbed one. She did the same thing. She went back to the living room and I followed. She sat on the chair, I took the couch.

"Katniss, do you have a question?" I asked and she sighed. Her brow furrowed.

"Yes, I do." I took a bite off my apple. It was so sweet, I'd never tasted an apple quite like it. "What kind of things to you draw?" I hadn't expected that, but then again I never did.

"Um, anything. I like to pay attention to everything around me, so when I see something I like, I try to draw it. When I was a kid I drew more objects, then I sort of evolved into landscapes. Right now I'm more interested in drawing people." I felt self conscious for a second. I was looking away thinking of different drawings as I mentioned them, so I wasn't paying attention to her reaction. When I met her eyes she didn't look bored at all, I took that as encouragement.

"Can I see them?" It had been a tiring day. The tension in my shoulders proved it. But just those words from Katniss were enough to make me be awake and clear and excited all over again.

"Sure." I said with a smile. I went upstairs to get them, she stayed in her spot finishing her apple. When I returned she was looking up at me expectantly. She got up and seated on the couch beside me. I handed her my sketchbook.

I watched her in wonder as her expression changed. Her features showed wonder, as I hadn't seen in her since she was a kid, before that night under the apple tree. She smiled and seemed to forget for a second she was supposed to look distant and aloof.

"This is beautiful." She said, her smile widening as she recognized one of the pictures. "Is this the Meadow?" I nodded.

"I hadn't seen it before, but since you showed it to me I wanted to draw it." I didn't notice what she was seeing, my eyes were fixated on her face.

"It's really good. You're very good at this." I blushed deeply, and I was glad she was too busy looking at the pictures. "I didn't know you could do this." She frowned like it was surprising that there was something about me she didn't know. I laughed.

"Of course you don't, we barely spoke to each other." She seemed to agree and she looked at my sketchbook again. I wasn't worried, since all the drawings I've made of her were in a separate sketchbook. She could see this one as long as she wanted to. "Do I get my question now?" I said as she went through the pages. She nodded distractedly.

"What is that book over there?" I asked and I pointed at the table. She looked guarded for a second.

"It's my family's book of plants. Prim brought it to me earlier." She looked at the question in my eyes and she smiled slightly. "You can see it if you want." Of course I wanted to. I went to get it and opened it. It was clearly made by hand and not purchased. In it, there were a number of drawings of plants. Every drawing had it's own description, use and some had warnings. The handwriting changed towards the middle of the book and almost all of the drawings at the end of the book were missing an image. "My dad made it when I was young, so we could learn what was useful in the woods. When he died Prim and I kept it up. But I can't draw so Prim drew some of the pictures." Now I realized how valuable this book was an suddenly, I changed the pages more carefully.

"She did a really good job." Just picturing Prim carefully drawing every petal of the small flower I was seeing made me smile. "If you ever want my help I could help you draw some of the missing ones." I said this distractedly, but when the words left my mouth I realized it was actually something really personal from her. I looked at her with worry. She didn't seem bothered, she was looking at the drawing of the meadow again.

"That would be nice." She finally said and I was relieved.

We continued looking at the books for a couple hours more, I was too tired to stay up any longer so we eventually made it upstairs. When we were standing at the small hallway, Katniss turned to see me.

"If I wanted to work with you, at what time would I have to be there?" She looked shy after she asked this.

"Eight, deliveries start after the Bakery opens." She nodded.

"I'll be there. And Peeta, thank you for breakfast and dinner. It was really good." I blushed again but this time she saw and I was so embarrassed I mumbled good night and went into my room. I changed into my pajamas and dropped on my bed. It had been such a great day.

* * *

**What did you think? **

**Coming up: The Bakery **


	8. The Bakery

**A thousand apologies for the delay... I've been really busy!**

* * *

I left the house at my usual hour. I was thrilled that Katniss had agreed to work at the bakery, but I was also aware that now she would be at my mother's reach. I repeated to myself over and over that she would be making deliveries, so she would interact almost exclusively with me. This thought calmed me down, but only to an extent. I knew my mother needed little time to be extremely unpleasant.

If anything, today was a good day for Katniss to come. My mother worked around four days a week. Tuesday wasn't one of those days. Tuesdays and Thursdays, she had breakfast with her sister. I had never liked my aunt, or my cousins for that matter. My aunt Faelyn was a seamstress and she'd had to work most of her life. She'd learnt the trade from her husband who died ten years ago. And while she was physically aggressive with her children, she was fond of name calling and shaming them in public. She'd had two girls and a boy. They were about as nice to other people as my mother was to everyone she considered beneath her. I couldn't really blame them, the only reason why we weren't like that, was because my father had taught us right from wrong. My uncle had been anything but warm.

It was almost eight, and my dad surprised me by showing up in the kitchen several times between clients without an excuse. When I arrived earlier today I'd been able to tell him that Katniss would start working today. After that, he'd been acting weird. He went to take a shower and then he came downstairs looking suspiciously upbeat. He was even wearing one of his good shirts under his white apron. He finally came in at 8:02 and looked out the window of the kitchen.

"Is she here yet?" He'd lost all composure. I had to laugh.

"Are you acting like this because of Katniss?" He looked embarrassed but he ignored me. "I'm pretty sure she'll be here soon."

"Ok," he sulked and left the kitchen. Then he walked back in. I was kneading dough behind the long table in the middle of the room. "It's her first day, I just want her to feel welcome." I smiled widely.

"She will, dad." The knock came as I finished saying that and my dad rushed to the door before I even looked up. I laughed quietly.

"Welcome!" My dad exclaimed in an adorably awkward voice. Katniss wouldn't notice just how anxious he was, but I knew him too well. She walked in looking slightly wary. I bet she was questioning about his odd behavior.

"Good morning, Mr-" she noticed he was about to correct her "Milles." He smiled widely.

"Good morning, Katniss. I'm so glad you decided to work with us-" The bell above the door rang in the store. His speech was effectively interrupted. "I'll be right back! Peeta, show her where we keep the deliveries." He left in such a rush I had to laugh.

"What?" Katniss asked me with a confused expression.

"He's so excited you're here I'm afraid he's going to have a nervous breakdown." She frowned as if she didn't understand why that would be amusing. I wiped my hands clean. "But about work," She looked immediately focused. "We always put anything that needs to be delivered on this table right here." I walked with her to the table by the backdoor; there were already some packages there. "There's a piece of paper with the name of the person it goes to, and their address." She read over the addresses quickly.

"I know where most of these are." I nodded, I didn't expect any less.

"Most of them are regular deliveries you'll be doing a couple times a week. And most of them pay in advance so they won't pay you." She nodded; she'd know how to do this. "If it's a special delivery like a cake or something that takes priority I'll tell you in advance. Do you know how to ride a bike?" She nodded, I hadn't really expected that. She picked up on my confusion.

"Madge had one, she taught me how to use one." I smiled at her random friendship with the elusive Mayor's daughter. I don't think I'd ever seen her talk to anyone but Katniss.

"The bike was Miche's, but he got it when he was fourteen so I think the size won't be a problem." I opened a drawer and pulled out an empty and small pouch that had a string around it so you could wear it around your neck. "This is where we put the delivery money. You can just put it back in the drawer when you're back." I put it around her neck, she seemed startled at my closeness but she recovered quickly. Undoubtedly because she knew this was basically a public place and my dad could walk back in at any minute. Which he did.

"Oh! Good boy, Peeta. I see you already told her what she needs to know." She looked at her clothes. "Oh! We forgot!" He left again and returned with a white apron that looked just like his. He was about to put it on her like I'd done with the pouch but the bell rang again. He gave it to me and left. I, of course, took advantage of the situation and put it on her. She wasn't wearing a jacket, just a baggy gray sweater, so I could do it easily. She looked at me in confusion when I didn't give it to her, but I pretended I wasn't nervous and I put it over her head. Then I slid my hands down the sides of the apron to reach for the side straps, and when I found them, I put my arms around her waist and tied it behind her back.

"I can do that on my own, you know?" She was so close I noticed she took a shower this morning, since her skin was still fresh with the scent of the soap she used. She didn't sound angry though, so I pretended this was normal while she got used to my closeness.

"I'm just trying to take care of you." I said innocently. She frowned and since I heard my dad was coming into the kitchen, soon, I was brave enough to kiss her cheek. She had not time to say anything because my dad was back.

"Look at you!" He said with a smile "You look like you were always meant to wear a Mellark apron!" It was just an ordinary apron, but it meant something to my dad. And in this instance, I liked to think he was right, because Katniss looked great in it. "Did you have breakfast, dear?" He asked, and I felt like an idiot for not asking sooner.

"I ate an apple." My dad rolled his eyes.

"That's not a proper breakfast. Go on and make the deliveries. Peeta and I have a quick breakfast after the morning rush slows down. You can eat with us then." She looked at me, asking if that was ok. I smiled widely at her.

"Ok." The bell rang, it was 8:15, most people got here at this time. Katniss looked at me when my dad left.

"Is it really ok for me to be here?" I nodded and returned to my dough.

"Don't worry," I said in a lower voice. "My mother is upstairs but she'll go to her sister's house very soon. She won't be back till after two."

"Ok, how long do I have to deliver these?" She was already gathering the packages carefully.

"An hour. After that the stuff we need to send to the Justice Building will be ready." I showed her where the bike was and after making sure she had everything she needed, she was on her way.

* * *

She was back less than an hour later. She knocked, as usual. My dad was so busy he couldn't open the door. I hurried to open and I looked for something, that she'd fallen or that something had gone wrong, but when I opened the door she looked perfectly fine.

"Is everything ok?" I asked and her brow furrowed. She walked in the kitchen when I opened the door. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair slightly disheveled.

"Why?" She began gathering the new deliveries.

"It was just so fast. I thought something had gone wrong."

"No. I made all the deliveries." Miche always took at least an hour to make the first deliveries.

"How did you do it so fast?" She shrugged. She was looking over at the addresses.

"Is this street the one by the grocer's or the one by the butcher's?" Those two streets had never been properly marked.

"Grocer's." I smiled widely. She was already doing a great job. "How's the bike?"

"Not too bad. It was a little difficult at first because I hadn't done it in a while. But I'm getting used to it." Then she surprised me by smiling. "It's fun." I smiled widely because I had hoped she would tolerate the job. But as it turns out, she thought it was fun.

"Great!" I followed her out. "And by the way, you don't have to knock. When you're back just walk in ok?" She gave me a stiff nod.

"I'll be right back." She said as she got on the rusty old bike. I smiled widely. I watched her until she was no longer visible.

* * *

"Son, you have a visitor!" My dad announced with a smile a couple of hours later. I looked up to see Delly grinning widely as she held a loaf of bread.

"Hey, Delly! What a surprise!" I said with a smile. She stood by the door and watched me intently.

"It's such a relief to see you here." I wiped my hands and came over to hug her. She hugged me tightly.

"Where else could I be?" I said and she nodded. She broke our hug.

"I don't think I would've handled your reaping very well. You're very important to me, Peeta." When Delly was worried I could clearly picture her seven year old self. A little wrinkle would appear between her eyes and the way she unconsciously pouted made the dimple on her read cheek visible. This expression had followed her all these years, I doubted it would ever change. I felt a rush of affection for my good friend, she was part of what made this place my home.

"Again, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. But we didn't even tell our close relatives." She looked comforted by the fact. If I considered her less than family I'd get a smack in the arm.

"I forgive you. But don't you think for a second that I'm letting go of the fact that you married the most mysterious girl of 12! You're going to have to tell me at some point how that happened exactly because I doubt your love blossomed in the middle of small talk." I laughed while still managing to be slightly scared of Delly's inquisitorial mind. She never let go of a subject until she was satisfied.

"I'll tell you all you need to know. Just not now. I'm really busy." She nodded.

"I expected as much. So I want to invite you and Katniss to a small dinner party I'll have next week. We haven't decided the date exactly but I'll let you know when I can." This sounded like a very good opportunity to dissipate her doubts.

"Sounds great, we'll be there." She looked thrilled once more.

"Ok!" She said. She kissed me on the cheek and turned around. "I'll see you guys soon!" I smiled at her until she left. At least I'd have time to plan something out with Katniss before we had to go.

* * *

Katniss took almost half the time Miche had always taken to make all deliveries. When she was back from her third round, my father stopped her before she could go.

"I made breakfast!" He said triumphantly. It was almost noon so it felt more like lunch. Katniss had removed her sweater but she had kept the apron. She walked in the kitchen looking uncomfortable.

"Is everything ok?" I asked her while I moved towards her. She was tugging on her braid distractedly.

"Yes." She reacted almost defensively. I'd always seen the barrier Katniss put between her and everyone. Like right now, she felt uncomfortable so she rejected what was going on and she became vigilant and almost unreachable. I wondered what would happen if she just went with whatever happened. Maybe there was something I could do to make that happen. "You don't have to stay." I whispered. "I can make up an excuse." She shook her head.

"No, it's ok." She looked thoughtful and almost mechanically, she grabbed my hand. Not to walk with me, just to hold it. I had no idea what was going on, but she looked like she was thinking about something really hard.

"Are you sure?" I asked again, her fingers tightened around my fingers.

"Yes. Totally sure." I sighed and brushed the hair away from her face. My dad walked in the kitchen.

"Let's eat!" He said triumphantly as he came back from the front of the shop with a small loaf of bread. My parents had a dining room table that had been there since my parents got married. We used it so rarely that it looked new. Since we were always working, we ate in a small table we had by the ice box. It was concealed by a small wall so the customers wouldn't see us, but it was close enough that we could hear everything that happened in the shop.

It only had three stools because we not everyone ate at the same time. My dad had made some sandwiches with cheese and tomatoes; he'd even set the table on Katniss' honor. He had also served some soup he had made yesterday and a bowl of fresh vegetables. There was a small jar of honey so we could put it on our toast and finally, his famous tea. It was a blend of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. For as long as I could remember he'd made it. My mother hated it, but my dad had never quit drinking it. I liked his little act of rebellion so whenever he made it, I drank it.

My dad sat down and began putting food on our plates. Katniss let go of me and sat down, I took the seat beside her.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked still looking guarded. My dad was completely oblivious to her discomfort.

"No dear, I'll take care of it. Would you like some tea?" She nodded and gave him a small smile. "How did the deliveries go?" He asked excitedly. I put some vegetables on my plate.

"They went well." She said and my dad kept waiting for a detailed explanation, which of course was not the kind of thing Katniss did. My dad seemed to quit and changed the subject. I bit into my bread with honey so he wouldn't see me smile. My dad and Katniss were so different from one another that the contrast was comical.

"Did you hear?" He said excitedly as he smeared some honey on his bread. Katniss and I ate in silence while he spoke. "Caesar Flickerman announced there might be a couple assigned to District 12 this year!" Katniss looked like she wanted to roll her eyes really bad and I didn't blame her. After the Reaping, the people taken by the Capitol were matched with others who were Reaped from other Districts or anyone out there who had been reassigned. That was usually not good. If you got reassigned it meant that for some awful reason, your marriage had been dissolved. After that happened, each person was assigned to live in different Districts with new partners. That included people from the latest reaping.

"I don't think it's fair. It's bad enough to be reaped. Being assigned to someone who most likely committed a crime seems excessive." I said this without thinking, my father was immediately uncomfortable. Katniss watched me with interest.

"Well, son, it's not always criminals who get reassigned. Sometimes it's a matter of compatibility." My dad could be really naïve sometimes.

"They must have done something," Katniss surprised me by taking part in the conversation "why else would they send them to 12?" I smiled grimly. We all knew District 12 was no prize.

"Well, yes, but we don't have it so bad." Katniss and I gave him an incredulous look. "Either way, it would be nice to have some new faces around." A costumer came in and my dad got up. I looked at Katniss and gave her a small smile.

"I wonder what they did to be sent here. I only know from what you told me that it takes a while for a marriage to be dissolved." She ate some carrots.

"It can't be good." She looked thoughtful for a moment. My dad was making small talk with a costumer in the background. "Are you sure you're ok?" She moved a little closer.

"Yes. It's just…" She looked up to make sure my father was busy. Her voice was barely audible. "Mrs. Akern from the deliveries, she asked me all these questions about our marriage. Sometimes I think this is easy to pretend, but I just…" She looked worried, which made sense to me since Mrs. Akern was quite the gossip. I saw her going from worried to defensive in a second. "Nevermind."

"Please, tell me." I begged. She took so long to answer I thought she might just stay quiet.

"We need to be convincing, that's all." I thought of her grabbing my hand earlier, it seemed like such a random gesture before, but now I understood. She was trying to get used to me. My dad was almost done with his conversation, I heard him saying goodbye. With full confidence, I moved forward and kissed her forehead. She did nothing to stop me.

"We will, I promise." I told her when I pulled away. Her silver eyes seemed to believe me.

"You kids are so cute!" My dad said as he sat in front of us. "You are quite the handsome couple!" He seemed so proud. I had no doubt that all his excitement about me and Katniss had something to do with his past. "That was Mrs. Keen. Her son is turning sixteen and she needs a cake…" Lunch went on uneventfully after that.

"One more round of deliveries and you'll be done." I told Katniss as we went back into the kitchen with the dirty dishes from lunch. My dad was already dealing with more costumers.

"What? But it's still early." She placed the dishes on the sink and began rinsing them.

"Most deliveries happen before two. So you can do whatever you want after that."

"You work until six. Surely there's something I can help you with. I can clean up for you, or something," I was weirdly flattered that she wanted to spend more time here.

"You don't have to, Katniss. I can manage on my own."

"I want to. You dad said the Justice Building paid me for a day's work. I don't want coins I haven't earned." I smiled, her sense of justice was quite fierce.

"Then it seems that I can't stop you. If you want to come back I'll have work for you to do." She nodded, looking satisfied. She volunteered to do the dishes and after she was done she gathered the small pile of packages by the door.

I had my back to her, because I was reaching for a new set of bowls. Her steps were quiet so I didn't hear her coming up to me, and I definitely didn't hear her get so close. But when I turned around after getting one of the bowls, she was there; a second away from me. She glanced at the door quickly and then her eyes were back on mine.

"Katniss," I said in surprise. In spite of being completely ignorant of her reasons, I couldn't help to react to her startling proximity. My heart started beating erratically and I stopped breathing. She looked determined, even when she seemed unsure of what she was doing. Before I had time to say anything, she leaned forward and kissed me. Her lips barely brushed mine, I had hardly noticed the warmth of her mouth on mine and she was gone.

Come back was all I could think of when she stepped away from me looking satisfied. I was completely shocked to say the least. My hands were still holding on to the bowl I had managed to retrieve, my frame was completely rigid. I wanted her to do it again, over and over again so I could register what it had felt like but her entire demeanor had already changed. I'd barely felt it happen, I was too startled.

"I'll be back soon." Her cheeks were slightly flushed but she seemed confident. She was definitely trying to get used to me. I remembered then she had wanted us to be more convincing, this had to be the way she was planning on doing that, which made sense. There was no other way to make others believe we were in love, without being so obvious. I had thought about it multiple times but I didn't know how to bring it up. And now, she had made that choice for me. I couldn't be happier.

* * *

It was a busy day so I barely had time to think about Katniss kissing me, but when I did I'd smile all over again. I was smiling when she got back. This time she didn't knock.

"Hi," she said when she opened the door. I smiled widely at her, but when she looked confused I toned it down to seem less creepy. I had to remind myself that she'd kissed me for a very particular reason. It had nothing to do with her liking me. "Where should I leave the bike?"

"The shed is fine." She nodded and left for a moment. I sighed, I'd been brought back to reality quite harshly.

"It smells great." She said once she was back. "What can I do?" I'd already thought about something she could do. I would eventually teach her to bake, but right now, I needed to get everything done before we ran out of time.

"You can help me with the dishes, if you don't mind." She rolled up her sleeves and went straight to the sink. We were quiet for a while. I was already becoming captivated with the feeling of working beside her in silence, I could really get used to this. Then I remember my visitor from earlier.

"Delly asked me if we wanted to go to her house for dinner." She didn't look up from her dishes.

"Is it her birthday?" She asked distractedly.

"No, she just wanted to have dinner with her friends. She wanted to get to know you better." When she didn't say anything I felt the need to reassure her, "It won't just be us, she's inviting other couples. I thought you might want to go since it's a good opportunity to be convincing." I thought about the look on her face before she kissed me. The most hopeful part of me wondered if there was more of that determination left in her and if I could access it right now. I really had to learn how to get a grip. She turned around to see me.

"Sure." I couldn't think of anything else to make her talk after that.

After doing the dishes she swept the floors and wiped the counters. She was doing everything I did in the afternoons in advance. While she was cleaning the pantry she noticed a sack of grain Thom had brought us from the grocer's a week before.

"Is this how much you pay for grain?" I was immersed in my work at the moment so I looked quickly at what she was referring to, the sack had a price written on it.

"Yes, I suppose. Why?"

"It's too much." She said simply. "You can get twice as much grain for the same price at the Hob." I had no doubt she was right.

"You must be right. But my mother is in charge of purchases. She decides where she gets supplies from and since she is friend with the grocer's wife, she would never go anywhere else." She would starve before going to the Hob. She said that place was only for Seam trash and beggars. I hoped Katniss didn't find it offensive, but of course she didn't.

"Makes sense." She said and she got back to work. Unfortunately, I caught up with the baking and I forgot the time. So before I had time to politely ask Katniss to go home, my mother walked in the kitchen. The tension she brought with herself spread instantaneously.

She stopped as soon as she noticed Katniss. Her purse was hanging from her elbow and she was holding a hat she wore whenever she left the house in her hand. Her fingers gripped its brim hat and her chest looked like it was swelling as she took in an outraged breath. Katniss saw her and to my deep satisfaction, she didn't shrink in fear. On the contrary, on my peripheral vision I saw her straightening her back confidently, she seemed a little taller. My eyes were on my mother, I was expecting the worst from her and I was ready to stop her from doing anything to Katniss. The way her eyes lit up, was usually a sign of violence to come. She glared at me before leaving the kitchen and returning to the front of the store.

"What is the meaning of that, Milles?" Katniss and I could hear anything and as mortified as I felt I knew this would happen eventually. There weren't many clients so my mother made no effort to keep her voice down. I heard my father whispering something. "I don't care if she hears! I can't believe you let that trash into our business." I made myself look at Katniss, she was mad. When she looked at me, however, her expression softened.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"It's not your fault." She whispered back. I gave her a grateful smile. I knew she meant it.

"I don't care! She can stay, but I'm locking up the register from now on." She stormed in the kitchen and gave me a scathing look. "If there is so much as a coin missing from that register or a gram of flour unaccounted for when I do the books, it's coming out of your paycheck." Then she looked at Katniss with as much contempt as she could muster. "I got my eye on you. I don't care what you think you got out of this marriage, I'll fire both of you if you so much as look at something that doesn't belong to you. You can't take anything. Even the trash is off limits unless I say so." I knew exactly why she said that and so did Katniss. Her eyes turned a menacing dark. Her pale cheeks were a little flushed, but the changes in her appearance were minimal to anyone who wasn't used to Katniss' lovely features. My mother would undoubtedly only see it as a defiant look. My mother avoided looking at me when she left, not out of fear, but rather conceit. I was not worthy of another glance from her.

I put down what I was doing and I was about to follow her when Katniss stopped me, putting her hand on my arm.

"She can't talk to you like that." I whispered and she shook her head, her anger was still visible, as much as she was trying to control it.

"It was nothing I haven't heard before. I don't care what she thinks of me." She meant it, but it did nothing to make me feel better. That day under the apple tree came back to me in full force and I wondered how Katniss remembered what happened. Did she hate me for my cowardice? How many times had I hated myself for not going up to her and giving her the bread instead of throwing it at her? Did she it as charity? Did she think I acted superior around the poor Seam girl?

If something could drive a wedge between Katniss and me, this was it. And of course it had to be brought on by my awful mother. I'd always wondered if the only purpose of her existence was to destroy my happiness. Days like these make it seem like it was.

We didn't talk for the rest of the day. My father avoided us, I knew he was completely embarrassed by my mother's actions. My mother stayed upstairs the rest of the time. When walked home I felt defeated and annoyed. I had been so happy earlier, only to be brought back to reality so abruptly.

"That went better than I thought." Katniss said as we walked back towards the house.

"What?" I gave her an incredulous look.

"With your mother. I was sure she was going to kick me out as soon as she saw me. But she didn't she just threatened me." She said this so lightly, like it was a good thing.

"This isn't funny, I won't let her treat you that way."

"Peeta, it's ok. It's not the worst I've heard. I don't care about what she thinks as long as she lets me work in peace. Working at the bakery is not a bad job to have." She looked like she was telling the truth. But I couldn't believe it.

"Really?"

"Yes. It's better than cleaning houses… or worse things." I shuddered internally to think of what she meant. "And I like riding the bike." As much as I wanted to feel bad, I had to smile. Her eyes had sparkled when she said that. She really did like that old rusty bicycle.

"I'm glad it wasn't all bad."

"Not at all. Your dad is really nice. And your mom…. It's not like I didn't expect it." My feebly constructed good mood disappeared again.

"I'm so sorry, Katniss." I stopped walking. I had to look at her even if we were in the middle of the road and this was simply not a good place to have this conversation in. "Not just for today, but-" I was as afraid as I'd been when I proposed to her "that day, under the apple tree. I'm so sorry. I should have taken the bread to you and not just-" Katniss gave me a look I didn't quite recognize.

"Don't apologize." She said firmly "You saved my family's life that day. That bread meant a lot to me, Peeta." Her eyes were warm and her voice was passionate. She was defending her memory of that night. She really did believe it had been a good thing. She looked frustrated for a moment, as if she couldn't quite explain just how intensely she believed in her words. She grabbed my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "I never got to say it, but thank you." Her gaze was steady and the gratitude in her steely eyes unnerved me with their warmth. We walked towards the house with her small fingers in mine. The moment we reached the house the spell was broken.

It had been an exhausting day, and I needed a moment to clear my head. I took my apron off and left it hanging in one of the dining room chairs. Then I went to the back yard and sat on the small step that was quickly becoming my favorite spot to be in.

Days were still not as long as they would be in the middle of the summer, but I managed to catch a glimpse of the orange tones of the sunset that always eluded me since I spent most of my time inside a kitchen. I looked at the tree in the corner of the yard, and decided to water it to make it stronger. Katniss had gone upstairs when we got to the house but she found me watering the tree and stared at me with amusement.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Helping it grow." She gave me a quiet laugh for that.

"I'll make some dinner." She said as she walked back.

"I'll help you!" I moved the earth around the little tree and whispered once Katniss was out of earshot. I knew it made me crazy to talk to plants but I didn't think it was too bad. Plants were living things and it seemed to me that they could benefit from good wishes as well. Not that I would admit it to Katniss, she would think I was insane.

"We still have some soup left." She said when I walked back in.

"Sounds good." We ate leftovers and talked. To my despair, the conversation brought us back to my mother. More specifically, to my parents.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but what happened? Your father is such a nice man." We all knew the answer to that one. The fear of being Reaped was a powerful motivation.

"Did your mother ever mentioned something about my dad?" Katniss seemed confused, so she hadn't heard about their story. "They used to date, when they were in school they were sort of best friends." Katniss seemed shocked. I didn't blame her. I'd only known about this because my father had never really gotten over Moira.

"I didn't know." I nodded and I quickly told her a general story of our parents, making as little comments about her mother as possible. If she wanted details, she should ask her. "Then when they broke up it was less than a month before the Reaping, so my father chose the daughter of a Merchant, my mother. She wasn't always like she is now, at least not when they started dating. By the time she realized how much she disliked my father it was too late, she didn't have a way out of the marriage. And my dad always tried to make peace with her, for us." Katniss looked troubled.

"I didn't even know. I never really thought about my mother loving anyone else but my father." I smiled at her warmly.

"She was probably deeply in love with him Katniss. So it was for the best, she married the man she loved."

"But your dad-" I wanted to say I felt bad, but any situation that included a world without Katniss was nonsensical.

"He understood. That is why he never held it against them." She nodded. There was a long pause after that, and I left her to her thoughts. I was about to clean up the table when she stopped me.

"Is that what happened to you?" I wasn't sure of what she meant. "Was there someone you loved? Someone you wanted to marry?" Of all the questions she could have made…

"No," I said honestly. I had only ever loved her. I just wished with all my heart she would love me back. "I'm where I want to be, Katniss." But her question had opened a world of hurt that I never wanted to visit. "Was there someone for you?"

She looked sad. So sad.

"No." Her voice was low. "I don't think I could love anyone like that."

I was relieved and brokenhearted at the same time.

* * *

**What did you think? And by the way guys, thank you so much for following and reviewing I didn't think I was going to get to a hundred reviews but you made it happen! **

**As a thank you, I want you to have your say in what happens next so my question for you is: **

**What fresh new faces should be reassigned to District 12? **

**I have several ideas but I'm mostly curious to see what you guys would like to see. **

**Let me know and I'll make it happen. Thanks for reading! **

**-M**


	9. The Neighbor

**Random Posting since I made you wait too long. This time you get Peeta's and Katniss' POV, hope you like it. And an appearance of one of my fav characters. **

* * *

**Peeta**

Once Katniss became a part of the bakery, we fell into an easy routine. We went to work, we ate lunch with my dad -which he confessed was a treat for him-and then Katniss left early to spend as little time as possible around my mother. She still argued that it wasn't fair for her to leave when her hours were so short but neither of us appreciated being around her insults and glares. So instead of putting hours in the afternoon, she woke up at the same time as I did so she could help me in the mornings. I would've argued more with her about it being completely unnecessary, but I loved having her around.

Our early morning walks had become my favorite part of the day. Especially because she was really cranky. She was definitely not a morning person. But I quickly found that she cheered up once I bribed her with a taste of the first batch of cheese buns I made in the morning.

Living with Katniss was so much better than I'd expected. I had dreamed about having her in my life so much that sometimes when I watched her walking beside me in the morning light or when I heard her soft voice saying "Coming through," when the kitchen got too crowded at work, I had to remind myself: This is real.

It was thrilling to get to know her. I discovered things I hadn't known about before, and more often than not it was surprised by how right I had been about her. She was as wonderful as I had thought she was. I had always kept an eye on her, while growing up, and I had never hesitated to hear what others had to say about her. When we were kids she kept to herself but she was not as shy. She participated in assemblies, sports and other activities; she talked to several kids. This changed after her father died. I watched her day after day, looking skinnier, more and more exhausted, paler and as lost as a person could be. It got so bad after that winter that I found her roaming around in my trashcan. My heart went with her, and I felt rage like I had never felt before for the injustice that had befallen her family. That is where I got the courage to give her the burnt bread, and that is when my mother caught her.

After that day, something else shifted in Katniss. She was sad, that much was clear, but she was not as lost as she had seemed before. She looked more… determined. Maybe a year after, she had began trading squirrels with my father. She didn't look as skinny anymore, she looked stealthier and with a purpose. Katniss was stronger, anyone could see that, and holding a burden too heavy for her years. Her strength grew, but so did her isolation , until the only person she talked to at school was Madge Undersee. And Gale Hawthorne, of course. She always talked to him, but since they were in different grades their exchanges were limited.

Many thought Katniss was arrogant, snobbish or just mean. I couldn't believe it. I never did. She was kind, it was obvious from the way she treated her sister. The only thing that had changed was that she was not as open to others as she had been before. She wasn't friendly because she didn't mean to make friends. She was honest. No one could dispute that. All of these things, I'd gotten right. She was also infuriatingly fair. She never let me give her more than she thought she deserved.

When the first working week ended my dad gave me my weekly wages. He handed me the sum we had agreed on and then he handed me Katniss' pay. I was glad to see we would have more than enough money to live comfortably, we even had some to spare. Then my dad gave me an extra sum.

"What's this?" I asked surprised.

"It's for Katniss. I found it with the delivery money. Peeta, tell her that whatever extra money the customers give her, she can keep. She should also take it immediately, I don't want your mother to know about it or she will find a way to keep it." I was shocked, not only because it was a good amount of money but because my father was openly hiding it from my mother.

"She's never figured it out?" My dad gave me delighted grin.

"Not on my watch, your brother was good at hiding this for a while. When I found out we kept it our little secret. I told him he could keep the money as long as he gave you guys some when you needed it." And all of a sudden a family mystery had been solved. How many times had I wondered why Miche was getting me candy when he got some at the store? Or how he'd gotten enough money to pay for Rye's toasting cake on his own? He'd saved that money for a long time. I was filled with a grief that I always kept at bay for my lost brother. My love for him was wasted on a memory.

"I'll tell Katniss." My dad smiled but I wondered just how much convincing it would take to make her accept it. Just as I thought, she wasn't keen on the extra money.

"You gave me too much." She said, once I placed the added sum on her palm. It was Saturday night and she had just returned from visiting her mother after work. I could tell she really missed Prim.

"It's what you worked for. And the tips are given based on your performance. The clients gave them to you, it's not money that came from the bakery." She shook her head.

"Is bad enough that you're paying me for full hours. I can't accept this." I sighed.

"Katniss, it's always been this way. Miche would get tips, too. Probably less since he was so slow. I'm not saying you'll always get this much since sometimes they'll give you less or more, but it was what you got today. And I beg you, please keep it." Her brow furrowed and I could just see her mind trying to find a way out of this. "Stop trying to get out of it." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are." I said with a smirk, she was the worst liar I had ever met. Her eyes were suddenly bright. She held my hand and put the money back on it.

"What if you keep it, you've been giving me so much fresh bread lately, I can pay for it." I laughed.

"No! _I_ pay for those myself. You are just going to have to live with more money, Katniss. You earned it," I saw the fire in her eyes, she already had a counterargument. "Besides, I was thinking that we can live off our salary quite well anyway. We could use the extra money to get some other things."

"Like what?" I thought about her house. She'd made such an effort to keep it nice and clean. But it was still not as taken care of as it could be.

"We can replace the roof tiles on your mom's house." Her expression changed, she looked a lot more serious than I had expected. "If we buy the material it's actually not that expensive. We can head over there during the weekend and fix them before the rainy season starts." I hoped I hadn't taken it too far. She looked shy all of a sudden.

"You don't have to do that." She said in a low voice.

"I won't, because it's not my money. It's _yours," _I said placing it in her hand. She gave me a suspicious look.

"Why are you so nice to me?" She asked again. I wanted to tell her the truth so bad. Although, I already had my prepared answer from before.

"Because we are a team. And if I needed help you would help me, wouldn't you?"

"Yes." She answered firmly. I smiled widely at her.

"Then instead of arguing what belongs to you and what belongs to me, let's just do things that make us both happy with what we have. How does that sound?" She gave me a small smile.

"Fine." And she was happy, but I still noticed the stubbornness in her voice, which made me want to kiss her really bad. Too bad we weren't in public and I had no excuse to do it.

* * *

Another thing to learn about living with Katniss Everdeen, was that Prim was the best ally anyone could have. Just her presence alone made Katniss more willing to try new things. I had seen her only in the passing this week and when I asked Katniss about it she told me she'd wanted to come visit, but school had kept her busy. I wondered if Rory Hawthorne was considered a school matter for Prim. I told her she was more than welcome to come at any time, and she agreed. That Sunday we invited Prim and Moira to have lunch with us. Hazelle said that her family couldn't come. When I asked Katniss why she said that Hazelle felt like she was intruding. I decided that next time we invited them over I would go myself to make sure she felt welcome.

Katniss left around eleven to get her sister. She came down the stairs, I smiled at how the prospect of seeing Prim already had her in a good mood.

"Are you sure you don't want help?" She asked for the hundredth time.

"Katniss, go! I can get the groceries myself. You did your job by telling me what they liked. By the time you get here I'll already be making lunch." She sighed, unconvinced.

"Fine." She said stubbornly and I smiled. We walked out the house and when we were in the front fence I noticed our neighbor from across the street. It was Haymitch, who I hadn't known lived right across from us. He was sitting on the edge of his porch, looking like he had a massive headache from the way he was leaning tiredly on his arm. His house was old but it seemed older since it was so poorly kept. It had a single and a small pillar in the middle of the porch to support the roof, he was leaning on it. Katniss noticed him and gave him a weary look, and like every time someone was around, she said goodbye to me with a kiss. I smiled at her and watched her walk away for a second. Once she went around the curb I noticed the man in front of me was staring at her.

"Never thought that kid was the marrying type." He said under his breath. I'd barely heard him but I was almost certain he was talking to me. He had never done that before.

"Excuse me?" I was too loud and he winced.

"Settle down boy, there's no need to yell." He pressed his right temple with the heel of his hand. Then he tried to get up. Until then it hadn't dawned on me that he looked dirty, like he had fallen down recently. I crossed his gate even though I was certain I would get yelled that. He was getting up in shaky legs, his arms provided little balance as he held on to the pillar he had been leaning on to get up.

"Do you need any help?" I said, and just as he was turning to tell me to go to hell, he lost his balance and began to fall sideways. I managed to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Son of a bitch," He growled, but I couldn't help to think he wasn't talking to me. "Can't even walk up the damn stairs anymore!" The proximity made it inevitable for me to notice the stench. He had definitely fallen down, there was some dried blood on the back of his head. He smelled like sweat and booze. I helped him up and he didn't protest, that is until he was fully upright. Then he began walking towards his house again.

"Sir, you seem to be hurt. I can bring help if you-" He was giving small steps away from me.

"Piss off." He said, then he stepped on a bottle and fell forward. This time I couldn't stop him before he hit the floor. "Damn these fucking stairs." He was clearly still very drunk. I ignored the subsequent curses and complaints and got him on his feet again.

"I'm taking you inside." I said, only to unleash a new wave of profanities. He was too weak to fight me, so it was easy to take him inside. His house smelled even worse than he did. There were empty bottles everywhere. The air was stale and there was a stain on the middle of the living room that I was sure was dried up vomit. I felt so bad for the man I was struggling to walk inside that I wondered how he had ever come to this. I finally managed to settle him on the couch. He moved away from me and dropped on the couch. "Mr. Abernathy, is there anyone I can get for you? There's some blood on your hair." He groaned. His fingers found the wound that I suspected was there he winced again.

"It will close on it's own." He was out of breath, like he had made a great effort to get here.

"Is there anything I can do? Maybe help you to your room," He shook his head and seemed to have an internal struggle. Then he sighed.

"Water. Can I get some water?" I was on my way to the kitchen. The entire house was as unkept as the living room. I found a single dirty cup that smelled strongly of liquor. I washed it and then I brought it back to him, full of cool water. He seemed so repulsed by taste you'd think I'd given him vinegar. I knew I could just leave him, it wouldn't be that complicated. But I felt bad. I had never heard of anyone that treated him like anything less than a drunk. He was so alone I wondered how he was still alive. "My wife's mother is a healer. Perhaps she can come take a look." He drank from his water. Now that he was in his couch, he looked so tired his eyes were closing against his will.

"A healer," He repeated then he smiled widely, his bloodshot eyes looked at an invisible point across the room. Then his brow furrowed. "That kid...she never looked like the marrying kind… that kid..." He mumbled. His eyes were closing fully now. I moved some bottles from the couch so he could lean back, and he did. He fell asleep, leaning on his side in a fetal position. He started snoring loudly before I had time to remove all of the bottles. There was a drop of fresh blood dripping down the top of his head. Drunk or not, I wouldn't leave him.

* * *

**Katniss**

Prim was feeding Lady when I got home. She squealed when she saw me, and I laughed. I had just seen her the day before.

"Mom! Let's go!" She screamed towards the house. By the time I pushed the gate open she was hugging me tightly. I missed living with Prim a lot.

"There's no rush, little duck! Peeta went to the market." Prim pouted, in a way that was starting to look ridiculous for her age but that still had a weakening effect on me.

"But I thought we were going to go together." I smiled, kissing her forehead.

"Maybe next time." And there would be a next time. I had so much money in my pocket that I could get her whatever she wanted. I couldn't remember the last time I was this relaxed.

"Katniss, it's so good to see you." My mother hugged me. I did my best to hug her back. It felt strange to look at my mother knowing what I knew now. To think that she could have been the wife of a merchant. And of Peeta's father, for that matter. He was a great man. Maybe not as amazing as my father had been, but great all the same.

"Hello, mother." I answered as warmly as possible. Just seeing me try made Prim smile widely. For some reason after the reaping, I had a weird feeling that things between me and my mother were changing. It felt right somehow to be nicer to her, and it was also easier since I didn't have to see her everyday.

"Oh Katniss, I have so much to tell you!" There was nothing left to say, Prim now went into a detailed description of what had happened with every one of her classmates since last Monday. We walked towards the house now. The bakery was closed but when my mother saw it, she took advantage of Prim taking a deep breath to ask me.

"Mrs. Feller told me you're delivering for the bakery now," she looked proud of me. I wanted to groan, nobody could keep a secret in the stupid district. Her pride was also strange to me, I didn't know what to do about my mother feeling that about me. "Is that going well?" I shrugged.

"Peeta's mom is an old hag." Prim giggled and then covered her mouth immediately as she noticed mom's look. My mom sighed.

"Katniss, she's your mother in law." She had said that to me before. It was as ineffective as it had been that other time. I gave her the same response.

"She _hates _me!" My mom still didn't look convinced. "She locks the register so I don't steal. I've seen her counting the rolls that are left unattended to see if I took one."The only reason why she hadn't searched me everytime I left her precious bakery was because Peeta was always on the lookout. He was very protective of me around his mother. I thought this was a solid argument. My mom let it slide. Moments later, Prim was screaming a new name.

"Peeta!" She said and in a flash she was hugging him. Peeta was in the front of the house. Something was off. Not that that lessened his excitement when he saw Prim.

"Hi, Prim!" I noticed he had changed his shirt. I just didn't know why, he was usually not one to be messy when he cooked. "Hello, Moira." Said Peeta. My mother gave him a brief hug.

"Hello, Peeta. How are you?" She asked and Peeta blushed deeply. I had no idea what was going on with him.

"Actually, I need your help. Ladies, I'm afraid lunch will take a little longer. I have to go to the store still." I frowned. We'd been gone for at least thirty minutes.

"What happened?" To my surprise, I was concerned. Had something happened to him? I looked at his arms and any other part of him that was exposed, looking for a wound. He looked fine to me.

"Oh! Can I come?" asked Prim gleefully.

"Sure!" No one could match the brightness of Prim's smile, except Peeta maybe. Seeing them next to each other… it was hard to miss. "I just need Moira's help first. It's our neighbor," he looked concerned.

"The drunk?" I had seen him watching us earlier today, but he was always watching creepily from a distance at the Hob or in the street.

"Katniss!" Apprehended my mother. "That is no way to talk about Mr. Abernathy."

"And yet you had no problem placing him!" I snapped. Peeta looked amused at my adolescent tone. I felt embarrassed for a moment. Why did I care if he thought I was being childish?

"Yes, well. He fell, and he says he's fine but I don't think he's aware of how hurt he is."

"Where is he?" My mom asked. Peeta led the way. Prim followed, looking as excited as she had been when she thought she'd be going to the store. I was not going in there. Drunk people with injuries were not my thing. I did go across the gate, tough. The lawn was overgrown, there were bottles here and there. And a bunch of angry geese in the back that looked like they hadn't been fed in a week. Trust Peeta to be interested in the well being of a man who obviously had been trying to kill himself for decades. Minutes later, Peeta and my mother came out.

"If you tell Mr. Oaken he'll know what to give you." Peeta nodded.

"I'll be right back." He said and my mother went back inside. I was mildly irritated, I'd been looking forward to lunch. Peeta was quite the cook. "Katniss, would you like to come with me?" He looked terrified. Like I would lash out at him or something. The thing was, I could never be really mad at him. Maybe it was the big blue eyes and the golden curls, maybe they reminded me of Prim. But in reality, Peeta had quite the soothing effect on me. Even now, I was hungry and annoyed but his kindness was too much to bear. Trust Peeta to care about some drunk getting hurt.

"I didn't meant to ruin the day with your family, but he seemed so weak." I had never felt that much concern over someone I didn't know, but I could see that it was real for him. And I had also seen it in Prim, and even in occasion my mother although she also became surprisingly detached when she was healing someone. That was one of the things that made me think I wasn't quite like other people. I couldn't just care about others for no reason. It was like I was broken.

"You didn't ruin anything, Peeta. Besides, I've lived with Prim all my life. I've had my fair share of attempts to save lost causes." He smiled and his eyes did that thing only Peeta's eyes did when he smiled. They were full of a light that belonged to childhood, where you think anything is possible. Not to a man who'd grown up with his awful mother and had been forced to marry someone he didn't even know.

"I'll believe you, but only because you're usually so honest." He said that with delight. He slid his hand on mine and walked me to the grocer's. It took him virtually no time to return to his sunny disposition. I squeezed his hand to comfort him, just in case. I'd lived with him for a week, but I still couldn't figure him out. Even kissing him had been surprising.

I'd kissed him because I knew I'd have to do it eventually, and I chose to do it on my own time. I barely had any experience in these things but I knew that the longer you waited the weirder it got. Like with Gale. The first time he kissed me, all I wanted to do was to get away from him. He told me it was normal because we'd been friends for so long, and change was difficult. But the more I denied it the worse it got. And when he finally asked me to marry him… I did what I had wanted to do from the beginning. I ran away.

When I kissed Peeta, I'd felt nothing. No discomfort, no awkwardness, no pressure. It was just a kiss. It didn't bother me. And I liked that. When he held my hand like this, it felt comfortable. We went to the apothecary and Peeta got supplies I'd seen my mother use before, the difference was that these supplies were not the homemade kind.

"Is he going to be alright?" I asked Peeta while we made our way back to Haymitch Abernathy's house.

"Your mother said he would once he got sutures. And to think he thought he could sleep it off." He sighed. "Prim was very excited, I'd never seen a fourteen year old girl so excited to see an open wound." I smiled.

"She's quite the weirdo." He laughed. Right then, Delly Cartwright came out of the grocer's.

"Katniss! Peeta!" She yelled out excitedly, you would think we'd been best friends since elementary school. Delly was alone, but she gestured towards an older woman who was leaving in the opposite direction. I was pretty sure it was her mother.

"Hey Delly!" Peeta flashed her a wide smile. And he wondered why I had thought they had dated.

"You guys! I'm so glad to run into you! We decided on Thursday for dinner. Will you still be joining us?" I didn't want to go. At all. I didn't know anyone and I was really bad at talking to other people. Peeta on the other hand, could talk to a rock and make the rock sound interesting.

"Of course, we'll bring some bread if you like. Any preferences?" He asked.

"Anything will do. And Katniss," She startled me by grabbing my arm. I did my best not to flinch. "I invited Madge Undersee, I know you guys are great friends." That was kind of an overstatement, we mostly just sat next to each other quietly. But I had to play nice with others, to keep up appearances.

"That's-you didn't have to, Delly. But it was very nice of you." I felt like I sounded more shocked than excited but Delly seemed thrilled.

"It's my pleasure! I'll see you guys on Thursday." She gave us a hug and left. Peeta looked me with raised eyebrows.

"What?"It sounded more hostile than I had intended, but I felt uncomfortable after Delly's hug. I gave him a weary look.

"Did you just compliment Delly?" I rolled my eyes, now I was trying to be as hostile as possible. For that I got a laugh and a kiss on the cheek from Peeta. I smiled against my will, his lips tickled my cheek.

"Keep walking, Mellark." His smiled widened and he grabbed my hand. We made it to the drunk man's house. Peeta went inside and I followed the noise from the side of the house, where Prim was feeding the geese. It took me a second to notice, but I noticed her reddened eyes as soon as I heard her sniffle.

"Prim, what happened? Why are you crying?" I hugged her and she sobbed slightly.

"I came to feed the geese and one of them was dead. I think some animal attacked it." I cursed the drunk man for not taking care of his animals, and mostly I was angry at myself for not checking to see if I had to get rid of any geese bodies. She had pushed it away but I could see the mess of feathers all over their small area.

"Oh, Prim I'm sorry. But that happens sometimes." She moved away from my embrace and wiped her tears.

"I _know_! It just made me sad." She continued to feed the geese, I'd never liked these birds. They were very aggressive.

"How's the patient?" Making Prim talk about her patients was the best way to distract her.

"He's ok, but his wound was very dirty and a little deep. He'll be fine with the sutures, but he's going to have a pretty bad headache for a while. Katniss, he might not be able to feed the geese this week, he'll feel very sick. Can you check on them?" I had an argument against that plan already. "Just until I can drop by. I don't want another one to die."

"Prim, they don't belong to us."

"But Mr. Abernathy said I could feed him whenever I wanted,"

"He's awake?" She nodded emphatically. I wanted to say no, badly. I didn't need a reason to be involved with this man on a daily basis. Then I remembered what Peeta had said about Haymitch being childless… it didn't matter. He didn't seem the type of person you wanted to be involved with if you wanted to keep a low profile. Not that Peeta had cared about that when he came marching into his house.

"Please, Katniss. I wouldn't ask this of you, but I can't come everyday, and they are so cute!" I looked at the ugly birds who were desperately feeding on what Prim had given them. Then I looked at her with her messy hair and some dirt on her cheek from where she'd wiped a tear. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But I'm not doing this forever. He'll have to take care of his own-" She smiled widely.

"Thank you, Katniss!" She said and she hugged me.

It took another hour before we left. Peeta cleaned some of the house. My mother healed and cleaned Mr. Abernathy and Prim cleaned up after the geese. I asked her to go inside so I could get rid of the geese's body. She left food out and begged me to always check if they had water. I ended up having to go inside once I had disposed of the dead animal. Mr. Abernathy glared at me and I glared back, he spoke in a polite tone to my mother but he was only nice to Prim.

"Thank you, again, Moira." He said when my mother finished settling him on the couch.

"You're welcome, Haymitch. Are you sure you don't want to join us for lunch?" My mother answered. It didn't surprise me that they knew each other, he fell often enough.

"No, I'm fine. Not in the mood for anything but a nap." She nodded and Peeta brought in a whole bottle of water and a cup.

"Thanks, boy." That was all the thanks Peeta got for probably saving his life.

"I'll drop by. My sister told me she'll take care of the geese until then." He gave me an incredulous look, it didn't take much to see I didn't agree with this plan. But he smiled at Prim.

"They'll be fine now, Primrose. I'll set up a fence so the foxes can't get at them again." Prim looked grateful. I knew he must be full of shit. People like him promised a lot and did very little. As soon as he got a new bottle of liquor, the fence would be a thing of the past.

"If you need anything, we're just across the street Mr. Abernathy." Peeta meant it and I wanted to roll my eyes at him. Why invite him into the house? What if he went? The older man just winced.

"I'll be fine, but enough with the Mr. Abernathy crap." Peeta did and they shook hands. By this point, I was very hungry. Even the disgusting smell all around us couldn't kill my appetite. One more glare in my direction from Haymitch, and we left.

"You did good, Peeta. If the fall hadn't killed them, the infection would. It was covered in dirt." Peeta didn't looked pleased. He looked worried.

"I'll check on him during the week. I don't understand how he survives off that stuff." They got into a conversation on alcohol abuse and the neglect that came with it. Prim was back to her good spirits as soon as she realized now we would all have to go to the market together. I decided to pass, I was done with finding new people to talk to, so Peeta and Prim went together.

I should have known to stop that, sure enough, when they came back Prim was thrilled because Peeta was going to teach her how to bake cookies. I couldn't help to smile at her excitement. Peeta was quickly becoming one of her favorite people. I didn't blame her, the more time we spent together the more impressed I was at how good he genuinely seemed to be. Even though he was too naive for his own good sometimes, he was also kind of wonderful.

* * *

**Peeta**

The trip to the market with Prim was really fun. There was endless wonder in her eyes and she was so kind and friendly that there wasn't a single merchant we dealt with that didn't end up smiling widely at her. I was influenced by her cheery attitude, too. Towards the end of our shopping trip I caved and I agreed to teach her how to make the cookies my father had made for the reaping.

Katniss and I made lunch as fast as possible. She admitted she was starving but seeing Prim so excited about the cookies made it easier for her to focus on that. I kissed her cheek, partly because I was relieved, and partly because I could. The food was great and finally it was time to bake.

"Can I bring some to Ro- Hazelle and the kids, Peeta?" Prim asked and blushed furiously at her own slip. The chuckle escaped my lips before I could contain it. Katniss was still oblivious.

"Of course you can, we bought enough for you to bring back to your friends. Now, here's what we're gonna do..." Prim turned out to be a worthy student. As soon as I had started instructing it on what to do, she became completely focused. She did everything as indicated, and whenever she got something right and she knew it, she rewarded me with a warm smile. She was a worthy apprentice. Once the cookies were done, Moira and Katniss complimented her on her achievements.

"Are they good?" She asked, there was fear in her voice as she watched me take a bite. I remembered feeling the same eagerness when I had made my first batch of cookies and I waited for my father's approval.

"Well," I tried to sound as conflicted as possible. "It's not that they're _bad_," I saw her crestfallen expression and I broke into a wide smile "They're excellent!" She smiled widely and laughed. I hated when my dad did that to me-which was every time I ever baked something new, even to this day- but it was fun to do to others.

"That was sneaky, Peeta!" The fact that she was appalled by my sneakiness made me feel quite proud of myself. We ate the cookies in the back, Prim admired my tree and gave me some useful suggestions and Katniss and her mother ate cookies. It was nice to see them talking amicably, I knew Katniss had a hard time talking to her mother, I just didn't know why.

It was the best Sunday I've had in a while.

* * *

**Thanks so much for your reviews, follows and favs! I appreciate every single one of them. You still have time if you want to share what couple you'd like to see in the story. The next chapter will be up pretty soon... The only thing left to do is some minor editing so I can publish it. **

**Review if you can, I love hearing about what you think about it and any thoughts you guys have. You've added more to this story than you know!**

**Next Up: The Dinner Party **


	10. The Dinner Party

**Surprise! Told you it was done... I hope you like it since I had a lot of fun writing it!**

* * *

**Thursday**

I went home to change my clothes as soon as I closed the bakery. I was dreading coming back to the house because I didn't know what mood Katniss would be in. My mother had picked today of all days to take her anger out on me.

I'd been baking when my mother barged in the kitchen, going on about how we'd been too generous with ingredients and now we had less money than the month before. She had skipped her Thursday outing after saying on Tuesday that it would be better if she kept a close eye on the new workers. Surely her sister suggested something about it, and now she had a new reason to hold a grudge against Katniss. Now she was in the middle of one of her usual rants about how my dad was too generous and I was too careless and how in general everyone in the world was just too stupid to do anything right. But now that Katniss worked here, so she managed to make it about her as well.

"And that rude girl, she can't even say good morning when I walk in the kitchen!" She was contradicting herself again, since two days before she had proclaimed that Katniss had no right to speak to her at all. I was just relieved that Katniss was doing deliveries and she wouldn't catch any of this. "So you tell that stupid girl that if she wants to get paid next week, she better start acting like a decent person." I sighed angrily.

"Maybe if you didn't tell her to never speak in your presence she would be more willing to say good morning, mother." Maybe it was not the best thing to say, but what really got her was my sarcastic attitude. I should have seen it coming since she had done this many times. But it still caught me by surprise when she slammed the oven's door shut when I was pulling out a tray. The shock not only made me drop the tray, making some of the rolls fall to the back of the oven and others to the ground, but It also made me burn the inside of both of my forearms as they got caught in the burning metal frame of the oven. I groaned in pain, she walked away with a satisfied expression.

I looked at my arms and tried to evaluate the damage. I had been burnt a lot of times so I knew it would be fine. I was mostly irritated at myself for letting her catch me by surprise and because she'd put plenty of force into slamming the door shut so it would also leave a bruise on my forearms, which would be harder to explain. I poured some cold water on my arms, which dulled the pain a little. I tried to roll my sleeves down to make it less noticeable. Maybe Katniss wouldn't see them. It was useless, the way I moved around my arms to bake made my sleeves go up anyway. And if I rolled them down too much the friction of the fabric and my skin was quite painful.

I had begun a new batch of rolls to replace the ones that had fallen on the ground when Katniss arrived. It was as if she knew, it took her a second to notice the furious red lines on my arms. She didn't say anything, she came up to me and took a hold of my arm.

"Peeta, what happened?" She asked in shock. Her fingers were encircling my wrist lightly, but I moved away from her touch so she wouldn't see how bad it was.

"Nothing, just an accident." I don't know why I lied. It wasn't as if she didn't know what things were like in here. Old habits I guess.

"Yeah, I bet." I felt her anger rise and her eyes gave me a steely look."Why the hell did she do that for?" She looked at the door that led to the shop, she seemed to be deliberating what to do.

"It doesn't matter." The more I said the angrier she got "If I'd paid more attention so I could've stopped her." She wasn't listening.

"That's not the point!" She lowered her voice but only out of consideration. "She can't just do this to you. She can't just hurt you whenever she gets mad!" I looked down. I had nothing to tell her."At least someone should tell her that." She crossed her arms tightly against her chest.

"Don't bother." I whispered. Her eyes were ignited, I could see she wanted to do something about it. For a moment I thought she might yell at her or even me.

"I have to go. I finished my deliveries. Tell your father goodbye for me." She was so clearly enraged it felt wrong to let her go like that.

"Where are you going?" I asked in a low voice.

"I'll see you later." And she left. I had been wondering about the look on her face for the rest of the day. Now we had to go to Delly's and pretend to be deeply in love. How could we do that when she could barely look at me?

She must think I'm weak. Like my mother always said. Maybe she thought I was weak because I didn't stand up to her when I could. God knows I'd been to much of a coward to even speak to Katniss and I had loved her for as long as I could remember. I was stronger than my mother and I could just stop her easily. But I wouldn't, because of so many reasons. Or I liked to tell myself that. That I had valid reasons... maybe that was just what I told myself. Like when my dad said that my mother had only broken a broom on Rye's back because she was stressed. But Katniss was so brave, she must know cowardice when she saw it.

I went in the house, with a speech on why I couldn't do anything to stop my mother ready for Katniss to hear it. I heard her moving upstairs. I put my apron on the back of a chair and went upstairs. Her room was open but she wasn't there so she had to be in the bathroom. I went to my room and started changing, I chose a long sleeved shirt. Maybe it would bother her less if she couldn't see it.

"Peeta?" She was outside my room.

"I'm almost ready." I said and I opened the door. She was wearing her blue dress and her hair was recently braided.

"Can you come here for a minute?" She was waiting for me outside my room. When she went into her room, I followed. Her bed was neatly made. I was once again overcome by how much her room smelled like her. "Sit down." She instructed and I did as I was told. I braced myself for a full blown argument. But she didn't look angry, she looked focused. She came out of the bathroom with a small piece of paper and a glass jar full of a greyish balm. She read the paper with stern concentration. When she seemed convinced she knew the contents of her paper she sat next to me in her bed. "Can you pull those up?" It took me a second to realize what the thing on the jar was for. I faced her on the bed and she faced me. Our knees bumped together when she got closer.

She winced when she saw the fringe of red and the line of bruises that was starting to appear. Her eyes soon turned angry again. "Prim said this would help." I stretched out my hands towards her, palms up since most of the damage was on the inside of my forearms. She took some of the ointment on her finger and began dabbing it on the angry burns with the gentlest of touches. The effect of it was soothing, my skin felt cool where she touched it. "There's nothing I can really do about the bruises, but I figured the burns were the most painful." When she finished she screwed the lid back on the jar. "Don't touch it." She warned when she saw me about to do just that. "You can put your sleeves back down in a few minutes, but let it absorb first." It didn't look like my skin would absorb it at all. Katniss noticed that and she glanced at the piece of paper I could now see had Prim's hand writing on it. It looked too childish to belong to her mother. "Or so Prim says." She put the paper down. For the first time she looked at me.

"Did it help?" She asked, her eyes looked as vulnerable as Prim's had been when she asked for feedback on her cooking. It was the first time I had seen a resemblance on the Everdeen sisters.

"A lot. Thanks." She looked reassured, and her expression disarmed me. She was taking care of me. "I thought you were angry at me." She looked confused.

"I'm not angry at _you," _She said angrily. I lowered my arms and she took my hands to make sure my arms didn't make contact with the fabric of my shirt. "But your mom is a bitch." She looked like she'd been saying that all day, and there was no doubt that she had if she had gone to her sister for help. For some reason I didn't mind that they knew. I trusted them. I had to smile when I noticed her taking a deep breath before speaking, she didn't sound angry anymore "I'm sorry she is this way. You deserve better."

"Well, I guess it could be worse." She rolled her eyes at me. I could see the anger returning to her in full force.

"You know what? I _am_ mad at you." She let go of my hands and got up from the bed. I got up too, it felt wrong to be on her bed when she was mad at me.

"I'm sorry Katniss. I-" She interrupted me.

"No, don't apologize. I'm not mad at you because of this." She gestured towards my arms. "I'm mad because I feel that you think you somehow deserve it. And you _don't_ Peeta." She tried to compose herself but her voice was angry. "And you don't have to apologize for what she did, but you _should_ be angry at it. And stop making excuses." I sighed.

"Anger is not that useful for this." She sighed heavily and looked like she had expected that.

"I'm not saying you have to go and hit her." It kind of sounded like she was. "But maybe if you let yourself be angry at it sometimes, you would stop believing all the crap she says about you. Or that there's something you could do to right so she doesn't get mad and hit you. Because it's crap. Whatever happens, she is always wrong for acting like this. You don't deserve any of it." And suddenly, like she always moved, she grabbed my face in her hands, as if she wanted to make it clear that this was important. "You are _good_. People should be good to you, too. Especially your mother." I always felt like shit when my mom did things like this. It made me feel that I was worthless, clumsy or that I could've prevented her outbursts if I had been paying attention. But to have someone say it out loud, to acknowledge that it was wrong was strangely liberating. And for Katniss to say I was good, it really meant something to me.

"Thank you." I whispered. And she hugged me. I leaned towards her small body that felt so powerful to me, since I couldn't wrap my arms around her. She dropped her arms and moved away from me. I noticed the dress again. "You look beautiful." I had to say it, because it was true. She blushed slightly and pushed the hair behind her ears because it had come out of place.

"Let's go before I change my mind." Her voice got that same tone she got when she whined in the morning when she exclaimed that it was an ungodly hour for anyone to be awake. She looked at my arms again, the balm was mostly absorbed. "I'll put some more before you go to sleep. We'll have to do it again in the morning." I was looking forward to that.

* * *

There was still sunshine when we started heading towards Delly's house. After our talk I was in a much better mood and Katniss seemed happier now that she made sure my arms felt better. She was actually being overprotective. And I was loving every second of it.

"Does it hurt, _now_?" She was nervous because I had grabbed her hand and she was trying her best to not let her arm touch mine as we walked. Which made her walk in a sort of stiff and overly calculated manner. I laughed.

"It's fine! That think you put on me really did it's magic." I moved closer to her and she gave me a wary look. "If I bump into you I'll move away." She had also insisted on carrying the bread herself, she said I might hurt myself if I held it against my arm. Which was ridiculous since I could just hold the entire loaf in my hand.

"Why bring so much bread anyway?" She complained but she didn't let me help her.

"Because not all of it is for Delly." I said as I let go of her and ran to Haymitch's door and left the smaller loaf beside the front door. Katniss rolled her eyes at me.

"You've been doing that all week, what makes you think he's eating them? For all you know they're growing stale behind the door, or someone stole them." I shrugged and took her hand once I was back.

"Then he can feed them to the geese and at least Prim will be happy to see them getting fatter." She rolled her eyes again.

"You're enabling her!" I laughed.

"Prim was like that way before I met her. And you've been checking on the geese, too!"

"Because Prim asked me to. I haven't done much. Whenever I check on them they have food and water."

"You care about them already. And Prim is so lovely! You can't say she's not lovely just the way she is." Her eyes softened so much she had to make an effort to hold on to her sarcasm.

"Yes she is, but my efforts to make her more antisocial go to hell with one word from you." She was being stubborn. She liked that Prim was so kind, regardless of what she said. And I was beginning to think she liked me too.

"I promise that if Prim decides to adopt cute little Haymitch I'll have a talk with her." Teasing Katniss was lots of fun.

"You think you're joking, but I can see that happening." I laughed out loud at her exaggeration. This only made her continue her argument until we reached Delly's house. We bickered on kindness and altruism until the door of Delly's house was opened by a smiling Micah.

"Hey guys!" He said, letting us in. Their house was in an older part of the District so it was distributed similarly than Haymitch's. I could see Delly's taste all over the place already. She had made a great effort to make her house welcoming. Micah was clearly influenced by her efforts. His hair was well brushed and he was wearing a button down shirt and brown pants. Button downs always made him look lankier and taller.

"Hey Micah." Micah announced we were the last to arrive. He happily announced we were the last to arrive. I felt embarrassed about that but he was more than happy to absolve me. "But not to worry my friend, I know what it's like to be late for stuff. We're all newly weds after all." He winked at me, and I smiled not because of his childish comment but because I could guess without looking the kind of glare Katniss was giving Micah at the moment. The widening of his eyes told me I'd been right, he hastily told Katniss that her friend Madge was in the kitchen with Delly.

"I'll bring this to her." She said and took the bread with her. I smiled at her to encourage her. I was immediately taken to meet Ilke, Madge's husband. He was sitting on the couch and gave me a smile when Micah introduced me. It didn't take a genius to see he was already drunk.

"Want something to drink, Peet?" Micah asked. It was funny to witness Micah acting like host, he was more like big kid in our group of friends. Two weeks ago most of us were living with our parents. And now we were all married, had our own places and we were dealing with things too complicated for our years. Looking at him offering me a drink made me picture a child wearing his father's clothes. We were playing house right now, all of us.

"Water is fine." Ilke chuckled. I didn't even feel like he was laughing at me, he seemed a little out of it. Micah looked like a kid with a secret.

"Something stronger? My man Ilke was kind enough to bring some of the best white liquor I've ever had." Ilke nodded, looking proud. I had never personally met Ilke, but right away I thought how he didn't look at all like someone who would marry Madge Undersee. He was tall and had a muscular built to him. He had sandy colored hair and wide blue eyes that looked glassy and red at the moment. He had a wide smile and bright white teeth that seem unnaturally straight. And if his looks weren't enough to hint at an affluent background, his clothes cleared you of any doubts. He clearly didn't shop for clothes around here.

"My old man only gets the best." Ilke was actually younger younger than us, but now that I thought of it I could place him in a few of the parties that I've been too. Kids mostly just snuck around and got drunk, it was one of the few things we had to do around here. I'd gone to one with my brothers. It was the one time I'd had a drink and I hated it. It made me sleepy. And I was exhausted from a day of hard work. If I had a drink now, I'd surely fall asleep.

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Your dad works in the Justice Building?" Most people who had enough money to order things from the Capitol did.

"Yeah! He's the head of his department, he's in the administrative department. He's the guy that tells the Capitol what the District needs medicine, maintenance, supplies, you name it. And that has its perks… so if you need anything I'm the guy to get it for you." I decided right then that I didn't like Ilke. He seemed petulant. Not at all like I had pictured Madge's husband to be. She was such a shy and prudent girl.

"Thanks," I said and he looked satisfied. Micah seemed to have enough of being the gracious host and he dropped next to Ilke as he took a gulp off his cup. He whispered something to Ilke and the small living room was filled with his booming laughter.

"Peeta! I'm so glad you came!" Delly's appearance saved me from this conversation. "Come here! I need company while I cook." I left behind the guys' roaring laughter and entered the quiet kitchen feeling rescued.

"Where's Katniss?" I thought Madge was in the kitchen, too.

"Madge wanted to show Katniss the backyard. Since they were here before you we gave them a tour. But they're taking their time," She lowered her voice as she walked towards a pot and rustled its contents with a wooden spoon. "It looked like Madge needed some time with Katniss." She gave me a wide grin. "Which suits me fine because now I can interrogate you with no witnesses around!" This was exactly what I'd feared. I acted as If I didn't care, though.

"You're so dramatic! So was anybody else coming? I don't know why I had the impression that Micah was gonna have some friends over, too." She shook her head. She put a lid on the pot she'd been using and checked the oven before turning her attention back to me.

"Micah's brother Allman and his wife were supposed to come" I knew Allman, he was in the same grade as Miche had been. "but Ally had an upset stomach and was crying all day today so they decided not to come." I didn't even know they had a kid. I wondered if Miche had kids of his own now.

"When did Ally happen?"

"Three months ago. She's the cutest thing!" Delly smiled widely. She'd always been eager to start having kids. She confessed to me one day that her biggest dream was not having three kids but four. I just shook my head and told her to pass history first. We'd been in seventh grade then. "Thanks for the bread." She winked at me. "Now, for the important stuff." She had checked on every one of her dishes so she could stare at me while she asked questions. I knew her tactics well. "Katniss."

"What about her, Delly?" I asked reluctantly and she looked too excited to mind about my feelings.

"Tell me all about it!" I already knew what she meant "How can you say I am your best friend, Peeta Mellark, when I didn't even know about you and Katniss." Of course she was bringing this up, _again. _

"Oh Delly," she was so predictable. "I've already told you, Katniss is a very private person. Surely you've noticed." I said and she hadn't lost the sparkle of hope in her eyes.

"I know that, and I believe it to a certain point. But come on, Peeta, I've known you my entire life and I never knew you'd even noticed her? When did it start? Who approached whom and most importantly," she looked at me as she said this and unexpectedly smacked my shoulder with a strength I hadn't seen coming "When did you propose?"

"God, Delly!" I said rubbing my shoulder up and down. "You weren't exactly overly public about you and Micah either." She sighed in exasperation.

"That's _completely _different, Peeta! You knew we'd kissed that day after the last day of school and that we hung out sometimes. You and Katniss on the other hand happened completely out of the blue!" I knew this was true. I had an entire evening to make her believe differently. I only needed her to believe it, everyone else would get the story from her. We sat on a little table she had with two chairs beside it. I remembered seeing this at her mom's house. She chopped some vegetables as we spoke but slapped my hand away when I tried to help.

"I couldn't tell you, Dells. If I told anyone, even one person, it would have leaked somehow and Katniss wouldn't have liked it." I said trying to blame it on Katniss, to be honest her entire withdrawal from everyone else was our strongest argument. Even if it felt dishonest somehow. "And besides, you know my mother." She gave me a sympathetic look.

"How's that going by the way?" I sighed.

"They hate each other." Delly didn't seem surprised.

"Yeah, well, no surprise there. But you could have told me! I wouldn't have said anything!" she said and I raised my eyebrows in complete disbelief. "Peeta would you let it go already! I only told _one _person about that it's not my fault your brothers heard." She said blushing slightly but otherwise entirely unaffected. When we were thirteen I'd kissed Delly's cousin Vera because I was tired of her following me around and she had promised that if I kissed her she would leave. I made her swore she wouldn't tell anyone because I really, really didn't like her and truth be told because she was five inches taller than I was and could probably overpower me. Yes I had been shallow and immature but I was only thirteen. She kept to her promise. I, however, made the stupid mistake of telling Delly. My brothers teased me for months about it. Even now, whenever Rye remembered he made sure to mention it. Repeatedly. "Vera says hi, by the way," she had married at seventeen to a guy from the grade above her who happened to be related to Rye's wife's family. I glared at Delly.

"Years of torment from my brothers taught me better, Delly. I wasn't going to blow it, not when Katniss was on the line." My tone was suddenly serious and she looked deeply excited.

"Yes but now that everyone knows, will you tell me?" she asked, the meal finished. She tugged on my arm like we were ten again and she wanted me to sneak her some cookies. I always did. I gave her a grave look before I sighed.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" I said as if I was doing this entirely against my better judgment. Which was exactly the kind of confession that Delly loved best, the one given under coercion.

"Everything!" she yelled and then covered her mouth. "Everything," she repeated quietly. I laughed at her. "How did you even get her to talk to you?" this was more than just convincing her that we had been together, it was about changing their take on Katniss. Delly was particularly scared of her, now that I knew her better and I was less intimidated-less but not entirely since she would always intimidate me somehow-I thought it was so ridiculous.

"That was pretty simple, Delly, I just opened my mouth and said hello." This was true, in a way. Delly sighed irritably before she took a knife and started cutting the bread I had brought.

"You know I'm going to need more details than that." She said impatiently. I knew that tone only too well.

"Katniss traded with my father for a long time, so I saw her every now and then. Then when I finally gathered up my courage I was the one to answer the door when I knew she'd come and I said hello, like I said. She started trading with me and we talked whenever she went to the bakery. When I finally asked her out she said yes. And here we are." She didn't look even mildly appeased but she was slightly soothed.

"I can just imagine how annoying you were," she said with a smile "you probably made up any excuse to make her stay longer." That was just wonderful, it meant my story was plausible. And she knew me too well.

"I couldn't help myself, Delly," I said with a mischievous grin.

"You didn't, clearly. And when did you suddenly decide you liked her? You never said anything. I can't believe I didn't see it!" this was what troubled her most. That she hadn't seen straight through me. I didn't tell her the truth, though.

"I always thought she was beautiful, I can tell you that. But like the other idiots that noticed her I was too afraid to talk to her." I shrugged and she didn't even make fun of me.

"She never did speak to anyone, except Madge and…" she looked embarrassed but I knew what he was going to say.

"Gale Hawthorne," I said in a low voice. I didn't want Katniss to hear us. "That's why I didn't say anything at first too, but when he was reaped." I shrugged, she nodded.

"What's Katniss like, Peeta?" she said eagerly, a little girl's curiosity in her eyes. I would have refused to tell her anything and tell her to go straight to Katniss but I knew better than to expect that she would be cooperative at all to Delly. I sighed as I watched her cut some potatoes. I didn't even think about it I took the knife from her hands and started peeling them. She let me this time.

"She's incredible," I said with a tone of deep admiration I rarely ever let out. "She's honest all the time. She never tries to pretend to be something she is not," except when 24/7 she pretends we're together, not that she had much choice,"She is strong and fair and she surprises me everyday. No matter how well I think I know what she'll say or do, she does something entirely different that surprises me to no end. She is so kind, you should see how much she does to help others." This was true, so very true it ache me slightly not being able to go into the next room and kiss her just because I could. "And she's so modest, most people would brag about all the things she can do but not Katniss," I shook my head "she doesn't care about all of that. She lives for the people she loves." She was staring at me when I looked up at her.

"You really do love her, don't you?" she said with a wide grin. If she'd believed me before I cared about Katniss, she had no doubt left in her mind now.

"I really do. I don't know how you can love someone more than this." This was the kind of thing you could say a girl that was your friend that you would never tell a male friend without expecting a well deserved punch in the face. I whispered just in case Micah and Ilke were near the kitchen.

"I am so happy for you, Peeta. You deserve so many good things, I'm glad you found someone who appreciates it." Her voice turned sad. Her wistful tone told me she wasn't just thinking about me at the moment.

"How's married life treating _you, _Delly?" I said and looked at her, I tried hiding the concern in my voice.

"Well, not bad. Marriage is certainly not what I expected it to be, but I guess we all have problems at first." She said looking for reassurance.

"That's the part they don't tell you about before the reaping," I said sourly and she gave me a weak smile.

"Micah is a good guy, I know that, but I can't help to think that we were not ready to get married. In many ways, he is so much like a boy still." She said and I nodded. Micah _was _fairly immature when things came down. He was the kind of guy to pull pranks on others at school, the kind that would go running into the Hob when we were twelve just to prove he could. I didn't blame him for not being ready to get married, we just didn't have a choice.

"But he treats you alright?" I asked, worried that if he didn't I might have to talk to him.

"Sure, he just gets mad when he doesn't get his way. But don't we all?" I kept my smile to myself, I wondered what he would do if he had married someone like Katniss. Who reacted to most things with a glare and incredulity.

"Sure," I answered. Apparently even more complications came when you were romantically involved with someone and you had to live together. I had to concentrate on not looking miserable. The reason why Katniss and I got along so great at this point was simply because we weren't really involved. I sighed.

"Overall it's not to bad. But sometimes I worry. What if we don't fill the quota on time? What if there's something wrong with either of us-" I finished peeling the potato and held her hand. She patted it gratefully. Suddenly, Micah popped her head in the kitchen, looking significantly more drunk than before.

"Dells! I'm starving! Is dinner ready yet?" Delly sighed, looking slightly annoyed.

"Yeah, it's ready go to the dining room." She sounded like a tired mom.

"Cool!" He screamed and left the room. Seconds later we heard them laugh.

"So that's that." She was going to get up but I stopped her.

"You should come visit sometime. We can talk, have some coffee or something. Like the old times." Delly smiled.

"I'd like that." She said looking youthful again. And then she turned to the stove. "Can you help me get that sauce from the pan?" And just like that, the interrogation had to end. "Do you mind getting Madge and Katniss? Tell them we're ready?" I nodded and went to the backyard. It was really pretty. They had flowers and an actual tree. I was going to make a joke to Katniss about it, but then I saw them sitting at the end of the yard, as far away from the house as possible.

I was immediately alert. Madge was looking down to the floor in a lost expression and Katniss looked concerned. Furious, even. I caught her eye and questioned her silently, her expression softened but it was otherwise impossible to know what she was thinking. When I moved as if to approach her she didn't refuse.

"Um, Katniss, dinner is ready," I said and Madge looked up immediately as if she had just remembered they weren't alone in the house. She made an effort to look at me with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Peeta." Said Madge and gave me an embarrassed look.

"Hey Madge, are you guys hungry?" They both nodded and we walked silently back to the house. Madge walked in first. I knew things were bad when Katniss stopped before entering the kitchen and gave me a kind of hug. It was less than a hug because she was making sure not to hurt me, but she leaned her head on my chest for a second.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, my lips brushing her forehead. I put my hands on her shoulders. She shook her head and took a deep breath. I turned to kiss her temple and I brushed the hair from her face. She didn't look at me. She looked at my arms, my sleeves were rolled down.

"How are your arms?" She asked, grabbing them carefully.

"Better." As soon as she acknowledged what I had said she walked in the house, like that little pause she'd made hadn't happened at all.

We went to take our seats; Ilke and Micah were already there making loud and stupid jokes no one else found funny. They tried to include me but there was little I could add since I was so focused on Katniss for the time being. I didn't even care about our initial plan to pretend we were madly in love. To stay a part of the conversation with Micah and Ilke, I muttered something here and there, no matter what I said, they laughed like it was hilarious. Delly was sitting on one end of the rectangular table, Micah was at the head of it. Madge was quietly seated besides Ilke who ended up sitting across from me. Once he was telling a joke and he was moving his arms so violently that he accidentally tipped over an empty glass in Madge's direction. He didn't even bother to see if she was fine, she picked it up and put it back in place without directly looking at him. Watching them sitting next to each other sharpened the contrast of their personalities. The couldn't have been more different.

Delly served the food and for her sake, I did my best to start a conversation. I complimented her food and Madge did the same. However it was clear that the unpleasantness couldn't be broken. Eventually even Delly quieted down and focused on eating her food. The only people who seemed to be enjoying themselves were Micah and Ilke who seemed to drunk to even be aware than the rest of us were there. It was a very awkward dinner. I felt really bad for Delly, I knew her enough to know she would've like this to be the perfect evening.

By the time everyone finished eating I had decided that Madge had told Katniss something about Ilke, something so bad that Katniss looked like she could throw a knife at him at any second. I realized I couldn't do anything but try to make her feel better about it so whenever I could I would hold her hand or lean sideways to kiss her temple. She didn't react much to that, but when I stopped trying, thinking I had bothered her, I felt her hand sliding onto mine under the table. Her thumb traced little lines on the length of my thumb.

When it was time for dessert I managed to get Madge to sit besides Katniss with the excuse that I wanted to talk to Delly about something. Delly whose mood had increasingly decayed during the evening managed to throw me a glance of appreciation when we sat back down. Madge barely touched her food but I saw her saying something in a very low voice to Katniss. Delly looked relieved to have me next to her and she answered to all my meaningless questions about the garden, her house, etc. I made my best efforts to make her laugh, but I only got a couple of smiles from her.

"This was so embarrassing. Of all nights to do this, Micah gets wasted when we have company!" Delly whispered angrily when we picked up the plates and took them back to the kitchen. "He's never drank this much before, I don't know what got into him." She looked so embarrassed. I tried my best to comfort her.

"It's ok, Delly. Dinner was lovely." She rolled her eyes.

"You're full of it. I'm gonna _kill_ Micah. I'm so sorry you guys. You guys seemed so bored." She looked defeated.

"No, don't even say that. We had fun. Katniss is worried about other things and we had a long day at the bakery today. But that's it. The food was delicious." Which was entirely true. At least the food part. She sighed, I know she didn't believe me. "But let me know when you want to visit." She smiled and gave me a hug.

"Thanks, Peeta. Katniss is lucky to have you. You're the only guy who didn't make a fool of himself tonight." I smiled.

"Shut up, Delly," I did my harsh tone voice "You know I'm high maintenance." She laughed and stopped me before I did the dishes.

Thankfully, the longest and most award dinner party in the history of Panem ended. I had relaxed with Delly while we talked in the kitchen. But when we returned to the dining room my concern returned in full force. Madge was hugging Katniss with a mixture of sadness and longing that was a little too much for just a goodbye after dinner party. Katniss whispered something to Madge and she nodded. They left, Katniss didn't even attempt to say goodbye to Ilke. When we said our goodbye to an embarrassed looking Delly and a passed out Micah I was relieved to say the least.

"What happened, Katniss?" I asked once we were a block away from the house. I had put an arm carefully over her shoulders so she wouldn't think I was going to hurt it. It was a little cool out, but it was hard to believe merely two hours had passed. Katniss was stiff but she did nothing to move away from me, on the contrary, she leaned into me.

"Its Ilke," she said without me having to specify. We could only have one thing to talk about. "He's being harsh on Madge. She's afraid of him. She says he yells at her all the time, he complains about everything she does and his mood changes constantly. She doesn't know what to do anymore." This wasn't strange. Not even a little. It was the kind of story that was frequent in District 12 and I suspected in all of Panem. I supposed it was all of the pressure, the whole thing weighing down on you and the obsession to have children. Soon. It brought out the bad side of people, and when the person was bad in his or herself already it only got worse.

"Did she say something to her father?" I knew it was pointless.

"She did. He only said it was normal for newlyweds to have disagreements and that she should be thankful that she'd had a husband like Ilke that had been kind enough to marry her." This seemed unfair. Madge seemed like a lovely person.

"Did Madge ever want to marry someone else?" I asked wondering if that could be another source for her anguish.

"Not that I know of. She just wanted to be left alone, I think. And it's not like she had a choice, it was arranged. He turned 17 just last week I doubt they knew each other very well." He looked much older than that. Arranged marriages were fairly common between the few wealthy people in 12. The District allowed you to marry even at 15, anything earlier than that was frowned upon. I remembered how my mother had tried to do that to Rye when he turned fifteen. My father had refused. He said his sons had a right to choose whom to marry. It was a sensitive topic with my dad. Since wealthy people were a minority, most marriages happened with some form of age difference. Ilke was probably the best prospect within Madge's age range.

"Do you think she will be fine?" I sounded childish but I didn't know what to tell her.

"I don't know." She said and I realized this was what worried her the most.

"If anything does happen, we will help her, Katniss." I said and she gave me a doubtful look. I knew she wasn't convinced, I wasn't convinced myself but we didn't really have much to do about it.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, me holding her close to reassure her and myself as well. The slight thought that Katniss could've ended up in a marriage like that frightened me. To my surprise, she was holding on to me, maybe she realized that in some ways, we were fortunate. We were strangers in many ways, but at least we respected each other. She only let go of me when she walked ahead to open the gate, as a reflex I looked back at Haymitch's house. As usual, there wasn't a single light on but to my surprise, the bread was gone. I smiled but didn't say anything to Katniss, who looked deep in thought.

"I'm going to change, then I can put the ointment in your arms before you go to sleep." She said once we reached the top of the stairs.

"I can do it myself." She looked tired, I didn't want to inconvenience her.

"I don't mind." She said before she closed the door behind her. When I came into her room she was sitting in the exact same spot she sat earlier tonight when she healed my arms. The difference was that she was wearing the loose shirt and shorts that she wore to bed. The same outfit that had been hunting my dreams since I last saw it. I sat in front of her and her eyes widened a little when she saw me. It took me a second to understand what was happening.

"Where's your shirt?" She asked, and I felt a little mortified for embarrassing her but I was still a little pleased with myself because she was still looking at my chest when she asked this. There was a faint blush in her cheeks.

"Sorry," I was not sorry at all "it gets hot at night I don't really wear a shirt. And if I tried to put it on after you put the ointment on my arms-" She was now making an effort not to stare. "I can put something on if you want."

"No, it's fine. It makes sense." She still looked nervous. I couldn't believe I had it in me to be able to get that reaction from her. I had to keep myself from smiling. She applied the soothing balm on me the same way she had before and when she was done she got up and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Watching her walk away did all sorts of things to me. I was suddenly a lot less smug about her staring.

"Thank you, Katniss." I said, getting up.

"Peeta," She called out. I stopped by the door. She looked at me for once and then she looked away hastily. "I think-" she blushed and then she looked at me again only to immediately look away again, I couldn't help to smile this time.

"Katniss, you can tell me anything." I said trying to repress an actual laugh.

"I know, I just- I don't want you to take this the wrong way, I don't want to-"She only struggled like that when she talked about feelings.

"What?" I said moving a little closer.

"I'm just glad you asked me to marry you. You're good to me and Prim and everyone else, and that could've not been that way." In her own awkward way, she'd said the one thing I had longed to hear the most. She didn't regret marrying me. At least not now.

"I'm glad you said yes." I said smiling at her. She unwillingly looked at me. And unwillingly, she blushed deeply.

"Good night, Peeta." I was being dismissed in a voice that attempted to sound harsher than it was. I didn't mind even a little bit.

"Good night, Katniss." I left her room and she closed the door behind me. I smiled while I got into bed and I replayed the look on her face when she'd noticed my lack of clothes. I felt hope, like I really hadn't allowed myself to feel before. I thought she liked me. Even more than she knew.

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**Well that went in an unexpected direction for me, how about you? As usual, I would love to get your thoughts on the chapter. **

**Thanks to all new followers, favorites and to everyone who took time to write review! Things are already changing but I have a feeling they're going to change a lot more on the next chapter. So I hope you stay posted! **

**Next up: 1st Month's clearance. **


	11. 1st Month's Clearance pt1

**I'm so sorry for the inexcusably long wait. A serious case of writer's block combined with an absurd lack of time made it impossible for me to post anything. However, I love this story so much that I refuse to give up on it. I hope you guys feel the same way. **

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**Katniss**

"_Catnip…. Catnip…" I was in the woods. His voice alerted me that so was he: Gale. _

_I knew he was there, but I couldn't see him. I was in the middle of the woods, in my father's jacket but without his bow. My head was overwhelmed with questions: What was he doing here? Was he back for good?_

"_Catnip!" I heard the smile in his voice and for a moment I was freed, he wasn't mad at me anymore. My yearning to see him grew even more after that. I looked left and right, but he was nowhere to be seen. I had so many things I needed to tell him. "Catnip!" He sounded farther away, and I panicked. _

"_Gale! Wait!"I wanted to tell him that I didn't mean for him to get reaped. I tried to run but my legs wouldn't move, I grew desperate. I looked up, searching frantically, and there he was, only inches away from me. I was ecstatic, I was sure he would be happy with all the news I had for him. I was going to tell him everything that happened since he left: how I was going to teach Rory to use his old bow when he was out of school, how Vick was excited to go to school and how Posey still had the doll he got her at the Hob. I wanted to tell him about me too, but… no. He wouldn't want to hear about Peeta. _

_We hugged. His smell was just right. It was like the forest, and rain and the fabric of his huge jacket. He hugged me tightly and I felt tears streaming down my face. I had missed my friend so much. "Catnip." He whispered and leaned his chin on top of my head like he always did. In a flash, he cupped my face and leaned in to kiss me. I pulled away as gently as I could. _

"_No, Gale." I wanted to say he couldn't kiss me. He must be married now and so was I. This was wrong. But the more I fought it the more his grip tightened around me. "Gale, stop." I begged. I really didn't want to fight him. I only wanted to enjoy his company while it lasted. _

"_It's ok Katniss." But it wasn't Gale talking anymore, it was Peeta. We were still in the forest, but he was wearing a white t-shirt and his white apron. For a wild second I was concerned that he might be cold. His grip on me wasn't a grip at all, his hands were gently encircling my waist. He leaned in to kiss me and this time I didn't feel like I had to move away. A deep warmth spread through me when I felt his mouth on mine. It began in my chest and slowly stretched out my limbs. The closer I got to him, the warmer I felt. And it was so pleasant to feel him all around me. It was light and warm and happy. The scent of Gale was gone, and now I could only smell the scent of bread, honey and flour. His lips were soft and his hands were sliding slowly up my back. I was worried he would get the wrong idea if I kept the kiss going for too long, he didn't have to kiss me because no one was around. But it felt so good. I leaned my body against him. _

_The kisses that had started sweetly turned more demanding in a matter of seconds. His hands were now gripping me against him as they ran up and down my sides. But it didn't feel constricting, it felt necessary. It was as if my entire body had started beating strongly and every beat released a soft ache. I realized quickly that that ache was appeased only when he pressed me against him. I desperately needed to get closer. I could barely breathe. The beating came more frequently, which only increased the ache. _

"_I want you so bad." I heard Gale say in ragged breaths. I pushed him away from me. But it was still Peeta. His eyes had changed. His bright blue irises looked dark, and for some reason that made lower belly feel tighter all of a sudden. My whole body wasn't beating anymore, the ache settled between my legs and on my chest. I wanted him to touch me. He came closer to me and grabbed me by the waist. He pulled me on top of the kitchen counter. I realized we were now at the bakery's kitchen. I was sitting on the edge of it. My fleeting worry of someone interrupting us dissolved quickly, somehow I knew we were alone. I wanted him to touch me really bad now. He did. His lips were pressed against mine, and when I felt his tongue prying my lips open I groaned and leaned against him. He'd spread my legs open, his hands were firm on my thighs, and he'd placed himself between them. He leaned on me and I tightened my legs around him. I thought it might be too much but he smiled at me before he kissed me again. He tasted so good. I was out of breath, and I was beginning to get impatient. His hands were lingering on my hips but now I wanted to feel him on my breasts…. He slid one of his hands up, he grabbed my neck forcefully to deepen our kiss. I wanted more. His other hand rested on my hip. I grabbed it and put it on my breast… his fingers gave it a gentle squeeze and I groaned in pleasure… he stopped kissing me just so I could look into his eyes…. They were a whole new darker shade of blue. He bit his lower lip, my center pulsed unbearably…. _

I woke up.

What the hell was _that? _

My heart was still racing. I couldn't quite catch my breath.

"Katniss," Peeta said tentatively from outside my door. "Hey Katniss, are you ok?" He repeated. It took me a second to understand what was happening. I was in the house, in my room, and for the looks of it, I was going to be late for work.

"Kind of. I overslept... I'll get dressed in a second." I said and I heard soft laughter on the other side.

"I'm gonna go to the bakery if that's all right." His voice wasn't as deep as it had been in my dream.

"No! Wait! Your arms!" I said and I swung the door open. He looked ready for work. I looked liked a mess. He grinned widely.

"Good morning!" His eyes studied me and he looked confused. I ran my fingers through my disheveled braid.

"I'll do it quickly," I said and let him in. I went in the bathroom and left the door half open. I straightened my shirt and did the best to fix my hair. I only managed to undo my braid and push the hair behind my ears, so I still looked like a mess.

When I returned to my room Peeta was sitting on the bed, his eyes widened and then he looked amazed.

"Wow! I've never seen you with your hair down." He said with excitement. Why would that be exciting for anyone?

I ignored his comment and looked at his arms. While I worked on his left arm he ran his fingers through a strand of my hair.

"You look really pretty." That got him quite the eye roll. He laughed. "I can't help to tell the truth, you know." I didn't comment on that either. Like anyone could look pretty at this hour.

"Ok, all done" I said and got up. He admired his arms.

"The burns are mostly gone. They'd never healed so fast before." It had only been a week, but the balm did wonders. "Thank you so much, I'll go to the bakery now, your breakfast will be ready when you get there." He looked like he hoped this would change my awful mood. He'd somehow gotten the idea that he could improve my mood by feeding me. Which was accurate, but it felt annoying that he could know me so well already we'd only been living together for three weeks.

"Thank you." I said and he winked at me. Usually I wouldn't care, but after the dream… it was confusing. I sighed in horror.

The dreams began a few days ago. I didn't dream about it everyday, but they had come often enough that I was embarrassed. This one had to be the worst one by far. I'd had my own fair share of sex dreams but never about anyone in particular. Not even Gale. Whenever I had a dream like I would always dream about someone without a face. I never dreamed of someone I actually knew.

The best way to get over this was to simply accept that the person in my dream had nothing to do with the person in real life. After all, Peeta's eyes weren't dark like that. They were bright blue and always smiling. Unless of course they got like that when he was turned on…

Which was definitely not something I needed to picture. Not that it was repulsive. Peeta was handsome. There was no way around it. But that was it.I'd also been spending so much time with him lately. I was bound to dream about him at some point.

I made an effort to stop thinking about it while I got dressed. I left for the bakery minutes later, the cool breeze of the morning helped me wake up a bit more. When I made it to the back door, I hesitated to enter. Why, oh why, did the dream have to take place in the bakery?

"Good morning, sunshine." Peeta said with a wide smile when I entered. I glared, furiously. He chuckled as he always did when he thought I was being "adorably crabby" in the mornings. He looked infuriatingly refreshed, as usual.

"Hey." I said and slumped on a stool by the counter. He immediately brought me breakfast and some tea. After weeks of eating bread everyday I felt I'd gained weight. I felt much stronger than when I started. Peeta returned to work, he was already setting up to bake. I liked watching him bake, it was relaxing to see someone so at ease in his surroundings. He moved with precision and concentration. He always achieved the result he was striving for. "Thanks." I said when he brought my food. He smiled. There was a trace of a dimple on his cheek. His eyes weren't dark. They were bright and light blue.

"How did you sleep?" He asked. I blushed deeply, as if he could know what I had dreamed about.

"Good. You?" He reached up to get a bowl. He threw some flour on it. The last of the container.

"Great." He turned to the left and opened a door I had noticed but I had no idea where it led. It was a small room or something, he turned the light on by pulling on a small chord on a hanging light bulb. He took the empty container of flour and went down some stairs. I jumped off my stool and went to see where it led. It was better to try to distract myself from the fact that I was having breakfast on the counter where we had made out in my dream.

There was a spiral staircase that looked a hundred years old made from welded metal.

"I didn't know this was here." I told him while I took a bite of my roll. It was a small room, like a tiny rectangular basement. I saw the sacks of flour neatly aligned against the door. There was a dim light from what I suspected was a small window.

"It's where we keep the supplies. It's cooler down here so it keeps things from spoiling too quickly." I saw Peeta opening a sack of flour and filling the container. It was a large container, but I guessed the larger the better. Going up and down those miserable stairs didn't seem like fun.

He came up the stairs carefully, and when he reached the top he sighed. "If you ever go down there be careful. The stairs are a little shaky and it's hard to see." He closed the door behind him.

"Ok." I said and I returned to my breakfast. I finished eating quickly and cleaned up after him while baked. I mostly did dishes, swept, and got the shop ready for the day. It was easy work compared with the hassle of hunting and then selling and trading. Not that I didn't miss that sometimes. I missed it a lot.

But the bike was really fun. And it was nice to come to the front door of people's houses and not care if anyone saw.

"Here's the delivery list for today." Peeta said when it was nearly eight o'clock. I grabbed it gladly. Peeta's parents were awake by now. The _creature_ -which was Peeta's mom- would come down any minute now spewing her angry comments. I didn't try to conceal my hostility anymore, not with Peeta's arms looking like that.

I took the pouch out of the drawer and went outside to make sure the bike was ready. Then I came back for the packages. Peeta said goodbye with a smile and a wave. I left the bakery feeling relieved. Even though I was trying my hardest not to think about it, sometimes I was surprised by the image of his fingers around my thighs or the feeling of his body when he pressed it against mine. I sighed with horror.

I felt right at home when I started riding the bike. Soon I would be too tired to be thinking about things like Peeta's lips. And I was right. The faster I went and the more I felt my legs straining to push down the pedals, the more I felt like myself again.

* * *

**Peeta**

Katniss was acting weird. To begin with, she never overslept. Yes, she sometimes woke up crabbier than usual but it was mostly on time. Then she kept giving me these weird looks throughout the day. I was confused and even self-conscious at first, wondering if I had done anything wrong. But I couldn't think of anything that really stood out. Then I came up with a theory that I couldn't wait to test out.

Later that day when she came for lunch I was talking to my dad. When she came and stood beside me, I put my hand on her lower back and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed and looked away. She hadn't blushed in a while now, kissing was becoming normal for us. So I wondered. I decided today was as good as any to push Katniss' boundaries a little.

"Hey," She said when she walked in once her last round of deliveries was done. I had taken a small break to drink some water so I just waved at her when she entered. She put away the money in the drawer and looked around for work to do. She found some dishes that I hadn't had the time to do before she arrived and started doing them. I gulped down the rest of the water and made my way to the sink. I got unnecessarily close to her. I put my hand just above her hip and leaned forward so my chest touched her back; I leaned around to put the glass by the sink. "Here. You don't have to wash it, I'll get to it later," I said it against her neck. All the time I watched her reaction. She blushed furiously and for a moment it looked like she was going to drop the bowl she had between her soapy hands.

"I'll do it." Her voice shook only slightly. But I noticed.

I could barely contain my excitement. I wasn't so far off the mark, I think she liked me. I wasn't naive enough to think she was dying of love for me, but there was something there. After that I could barely stop smiling while I plotted other ways to prove myself right. I had to be cautious, Katniss did not react well when she was pressured into anything. So I had to be subtle, which suited me just fine because I had all the time in the world to get her to see me in a different light.

"Girl!" yelled out my mother as she burst into the kitchen. Her presence was like a cold bucket of water. Katniss had been on edge when he began working here, but now every trace of friendliness was gone, leaving the cold and detached woman she showed everyone else in place of her actual personality. "Girl, are you deaf? I've been calling you for hours now!" My mother complained impatiently. I turned sharply towards her.

"Don't talk to her like that." I wasn't yelling, but my voice was harsh enough that my mother glared at me filled with exasperation.

"She works here, I'm asking her to do her job. _Girl," _said my mother again, "go clean the front of the store." Katniss didn't move an inch, she just glared at her.

"My name is Katniss." She said slowly, her anger was evident and an outrage in the eyes of my mother.

"I didn't ask for your name, go clean the front of the store." Katniss didn't move.

"_I'll_ do it." I muttered.

"You stay where you are." Snapped my mother.

"I'll do as I'm told if you ask me respectfully. I work for you, I'm not your slave. And I have a name." Her words were sharp with anger. My mother looked like the vein on her forehead was going to pop. She squared her shoulders and glared at Katniss.

"_Katniss, _there's a mess in the shop. Go clean it." Katniss didn't look convinced at all. My dad walked in looking completely terrified. He looked at Katniss apologetically, he knew my mother well.

"Katniss, darling, would you mind cleaning up the front? A customer spilled an entire drink on the front and everyone is slipping!" He said politely. Katniss remained as serious as ever but her voice softened considerably.

"Sure, Milles." She said looking at my father. My mother was outraged. Katniss grabbed a mop and a bucket from beside the counter and walked straight to my mother without flinching, she looked like she was daring her to touch her. My mom didn't move away from the door, she only glared at Katniss while she walked out of the room.

"The _nerve_ on that girl." She muttered quietly, her voice was low but I could see her shoulders shaking. I remained frozen, staring at her waiting for her to move towards Katniss, knowing that as long as she was at the shop she was safe. My mother would never make a scene in public. When she left for the shop and I felt like a total idiot. I knew Katniss would be mad at me over this, and I had just stood here. I was so weak sometimes. Why couldn't I just confront that horrible woman?

Katniss returned to the kitchen holding the dirty mop and bucket, she continued to the back alley without a word. I followed her.

"Katniss-" She was by the side of the building where there was a large sink where we washed cleaning utensils. She set the mop aside and emptied the bucket. I stood beside her while she did that.

"Don't bother, Peeta. We already talked about this." Her shoulders had relaxed and she looked far less angry than I would have expected. "If you want to take that crap from your mother you have your reasons, but I'm not going to be treated like a maid." She set the bucket down and washed the mop.

"You shouldn't." I said stupidly.

"If _you_ want her to treat you any differently, you have to stand up to her." I sighed and looked down. If only it was that simple.

"I can deal with that I just don't want her to get to you." My sadness was pathetic. She didn't need this, my mother needed to stop. Katniss finished her work and after washing her hands she dried them on her apron.

"Don't worry about me. I don't need to be saved, Peeta. I can take care of myself. But you're the only one who can really make her start being less of a bitch to you." She looked over my shoulder and her eyes brightened slightly.

"I gotta go." She said and stepped closer to me.

She put her hands on my chest and moved to kiss me goodbye. I followed her helplessly into a kiss that would bring me some comfort, even if it was for other people rather than for ourselves. I leaned forward because her fingers in my chest propped me to. Her lips kissed mine, how many times had we already done this? Pressing our lips together? It started as any of our movements were vaguely mechanic, like a well rehearsed dance. But then something shifted unexpectedly, her hands slid to the back of my neck and she pulled me down to deepen the kiss. Her lips parted, her head tilted and her tongue touched mine.

I was startled but not as I'd been the first time she'd kissed me, and I was able to find perfection in the unlikelihood of this moment. I found it in her hesitation and her sudden burst of emotion. I didn't know why we were taking this so far, or if it was really happening at all. I didn't care either. Because when someone kisses you like Katniss was kissing me, anything other than that emotion, that incomparable thrill, is meaningless. All was quiet, all was _her. _I left my carefully designed restrictions behind and I just let myself feel her relaxing into me for a moment.

The only thing that could have pulled my attention from Katniss, was Katniss herself. And she did, it seemed like hours later, days, when she took her lips away from me. My head followed her for a second, too disappointed to part with her just yet. She whispered something against my lips and her breath combined with my ragged respiration. She was trying to speak but to no avail. I couldn't hear anything.

"I," she managed to make a sound on her second try. It was like a purr, a soft sound barely audible. I couldn't believe it belonged to her. "I'll see you later." She didn't move. Only after the meaning of her words dawned on me did I realize I had pinned her to the wall of the alley, I had one arm on each side of her and my body was pressed against hers. This was wrong. Why were we doing this here? Why were we doing this _at all_? So much for being subtle.

"Ok." I said in a shaky voice and dropped my arms. She walked away, leaving me breathless and disoriented, leaning on the same wall where moments ago her small body had been fully pressed against mine. I turned around, remembering I had work to do and looked up at the store, my mother was with her back to the window, she seemed to be talking to a customer. How much had he seen? Had Katniss planned that? Did I care? I sighed in defeat as I entered the kitchen.

* * *

**Katniss**

It had been a long day of fucking up. Seriously messing up. First the dream and now _this_? What was wrong with me? My face was scarlet all the way back to the house. All I wanted was kiss Peeta because I knew his mom hated it when we kissed. I'd noticed her repulsed expression before. But then… it got out of hand.

I'd always thought people who said things "had gotten out of hand" were lying. They were just making excuses to have sex and then pretended some supernatural force had possessed them. My limited experience with making out had taught me that I could stop at any time… Gale's protests be damned. But in reality, I'd never had a reaction powerful enough that the stream of loud reasons why I had to stop became only an annoying buzz in the back of my mind.

I blamed the stupid dream.

Peeta's proximity had been bad enough, but when he'd pushed me against that wall I felt him in a way that was just too similar to the Peeta of my dream. His eyes I'd gotten right. They looked dark and open when I'd stopped the kiss. He'd been turned on. Which wasn't surprising… I'd basically assaulted him.

Stupid dream. Now I had embarrassed myself and Peeta would get the wrong idea. We were married so we didn't have to think of love or sex. And here I was basically throwing myself at him. The more I thought of it, the more my mind took me on undesired venues. Like, why had he married me at all? Why didn't _he _want to have children? I know why _I _had always hated the idea of it. The mere thought of love made me very uncomfortable. Love more than children. Because being in love was the only reason why having kids seemed like a remotely good idea. And it wasn't. Love made you think people were indispensable and the fear of their loss could unhinge you. I never wanted to love anyone more than I absolutely had to. Marrying for love was never an option for me.

Sex didn't seem too scary. No that I particularly wanted it, but it led to kids so it had always been out of the question for me.

But what about Peeta? If I took his parents as an example our marriage made even less sense. If a marriage made from desperation, like his parent's, had made his father so unhappy wouldn't it make sense that he made an effort to marry someone he loved? That was the only way out of that one, really. But instead he'd married _me_. It wasn't as if he had a shot with me. I was just not the type to fall in love. So what had _he_ been thinking? And why hadn't I thought to ask. Maybe because I didn't really know him when I said yes. I wonder if I should ask him more about it, but what if I did and it made things uncomfortable between us?

What was _I_ thinking kissing him like that? This would definitely be bad. Everyone wanted sex, I wasn't so innocent as to not know that. And I doubted Peeta would risk sleeping with someone else, I knew I wouldn't with the Peacekeepers keeping an eye on us. What if he thought now that I wanted to have sex with _him? _That just wouldn't work. Or what if he'd been uncomfortable because he really didn't see me that way and I had just taken it too far. Maybe that's why he'd married me, because he felt safe around me. And safe he would be, I would make sure of that.

My house was visible now, and I could tell my mother was home. She always had the windows wide open. I preferred to keep some of them shut, it kept the ash from getting on everything.

"Katniss," my mother said with a wide smile, she was on the kitchen getting ready for dinner I assumed. The house was too quiet, Prim obviously wasn't back from school.

"Hello." I walked in directly to the herb rack. I always had an idea of what my mother needed so I could get it for her without asking. She was running out of several plants. This was the result of me working everyday. I had less time to gather for her. "I'll get you those as soon as I can. Sunday should be a good day for it."

"Don't worry if you can't. We can make do." It still felt like my responsibility.

"I'll get them for you." For some reason, I thought about Madge and her situation. I wondered what was the best way to check on her without making her think I was prying.

"...and Peeta?" I heard my mother said. I was staring at her fingers while she chopped a potato. I'd only heard the last part of the question.

"What?" I didn't really want to think about Peeta.

"I said, is everything alright with you and Peeta?" I felt defensive. It wasn't a bad question, but it came from my mother.

"Yeah, sure." Even if I had potentially screwed everything up just now.

"I know you're a private person, Katniss. But if there's anything you want to know, if you have any questions I want you to know you can come to me." It was the tone that made me suspicious for a second before I became completely disgusted. Married or not, that my mother was talking to me about sex came out of the blue for me. I blushed in a second and I hated myself for it. It lessened my anger.

"I know what I need to know, mom, thanks." I said with a frown.

"I don't mean sex, exclusively, but other things as well. There are things about marriage that are more complicated than meets the eye, so if there's anything you want to know…" I wanted to stop her from talking about it a second longer. That's what I really need right now.

"Actually there is, why didn't you tell me you were gonna marry Peeta's dad?" She looked genuinely surprised at this, but not in a bad way.

"I hadn't thought about that in such a long time. But I guess I didn't bring it up because it's in the past." I remembered Milles' eyes whenever he asked about my mother or Prim. I was also well aware that he was nice to me, through no merit of my own.

"He really loved you." The words surprised me. It's not like I was defending him, but I didn't understand how she could fall in love with my father if she was with Milles first.

"I loved him, too. But when your father came into my life… there was no question." She looked at my expression, which I was heartily trying to keep from looking judgemental. Which I knew was exactly how I looked.

"I dated Milles since I was in seventh grade. He was so handsome, Peeta looks a lot like him but I dare say he is even more handsome than his father was." I thought of his arms around my waist. His bright blue eyes getting darker. I really had to snap out of it. "And then when we were only sixteen he asked me to marry him and I said yes, but with the condition what we would wait until we were 18 to get married. He couldn't begrudge me that at least. I should have known then…" She sighed.

"What?"

"That something was not right. I loved Milles, Katniss, but I think I agreed to marry him more out of fear of the Reaping than really being in love." I was getting more uncomfortable by the second. "Then I met your father a year before my reaping. I never meant to be unfaithful to Milles, so although your father was quite persistent, we were only friends. Good friends. He made me laugh," She smiled sadly. I remembered the days when she couldn't even talk about my father. She had come a long way, I just wished she had done this sooner. "He made me feel lots of things. I think that is how I knew that what I felt for him was different than how I felt for Miles. I'd thought I'd been in love and I was going to marry willingly. But when I was with your father… I lost myself in his stories. In his voice when he sang on the way back to the mines… My life felt different around him, lighter. Nothing scared me, because I was with him. I felt so safe. And how can you ignore something you never felt before?" I shrugged. "I broke up with Milles and I began dating your father in secret. Three months later he asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Then Peeta's father had time to look for someone else. Why didn't he?" She looked genuinely remorseful.

"I think he kept hoping I would change my mind. No matter how many times I told him I wouldn't. Then he was too sad to think about marriage, and he ran out of time. Mellark men can be persistent, too." I thought of Peeta helping Haymitch.

"Tell me about it." I sighed.

"My only regret is that he married Eudora."

"That heartless witch." I muttered. For once she didn't say anything. She'd been letting me insult her more since I came here yelling at everyone because she had burned Peeta's arms. My mom had made the medicine for him, while Prim wrote down the instructions."I'm gonna go, tell Prim I looked at the geese and they're fine." This was a lie. I hadn't been there in a couple of days. I didn't want to be with my mother though, so I left.

"Goodbye, Katniss." My mother said with a sad smile.

People don't stop being horrible because you want them too. Peeta's mom had about as much chance of changing as Haymitch had to stop being a drunk. They would never be any different, so why take any crap from them?

People never changed.

**Peeta **

Two days before the 1st month's clearance a rumor started spreading about the Peacekeepers making surprise visits. I knew this was not a new thing, but I'd never actually seen it happen. Like many things in the District, Peacekeepers did things when it suited them, so since the surprise visits inconvenienced them, they only happened very rarely. But then Delly showed up at the Bakery and told me it had happened to her.

"Three days early and in the middle of the night!" She said loudly as she took a bite of her toast. She had finally taken up on my offer to come join me for tea at work. She'd been talking non-stop for the past hour. She already knew the drill, she talked and I worked. "Micah jumped out of bed like he'd been set on fire, it took us forever to calm down after it. We didn't know who it was at that hour!" I could tell she had already told this story a million times to different people.

"Who wouldn't be scared. And what did they tell you?" My interest was more than friendly, I needed to know so we could prepare. She shrugged, uninterested.

"Nothing that I didn't know already. I'm not pregnant yet. They didn't even ask anything else, like I thought they would. They only put that thing they have and when it looked red they left. Then they said they'd be back next month." It wasn't odd for people to not to be pregnant yet. It had only been a month. "I heard Dahlia from our English class is pregnant, did you hear?" She loved to gossip. So I let her rant.

It was the middle of the day so Katniss came in the kitchen, a couple minutes later than I had expected. I questioned her silently.

"Mrs. Abel is getting chattier by the day." Small talk made her crabby, it made me laugh.

"Hi, Katniss!" Delly had ordered some bread from the bakery and since then she felt quite comfortable around Katniss who often came to her house. Katniss gave her a small smile.

"Hello, Delly. How are you?" That's all she needed to say. Delly went on and Katniss cleared out the kitchen as we listened to her. When Delly said her goodbyes I told her about the surprise visits.

"I'll put your things in my room when I get back. At least until we've been cleared we should sleep there." I nodded. She kissed my cheek and left again.

After what happened in the alley that day, I noticed that Katniss had changed yet again. This time, she was weary, as if she had been expecting me to react in some way. I thought talking about it would be a bad idea, so even before leaving work that day I decided to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. She responded to that quite well. And now she was back to her old self.

Except she wasn't. There was tension between us. I wondered if it was only on my part or if she could feel it, too. But nothing she ever did suggested she wanted more, and I couldn't be the first one to make a move, or she would shut down and I would be left out. I was convinced that if we were ever going to be together it was going to have to be her choice. I had made up my mind years ago and it was her turn.

When I got back to the house I heard the sound of a loud hammer across the street. Haymitch was finishing his fence. I went over to his house and walked around to where the geese were. They looked better fed and they were running around freely.

"Hello, Haymitch." I said with a smile.

"Hey there, boy." He was sober again. He still drank, in a way I thought he always would but he'd been up and about more since we visited him.

"The fence looks great. I'm sure the geese will really like it."

"I'm doing it so that wife of yours will stop pestering me." I laughed. Katniss and Haymitch had a strange relationship that consisted of glaring and insulting each other. It would have bothered me except it was amusing and I had the feeling that deep down they didn't really mean any harm.

"She's only come here twice." Katniss had kept a loose watch on the geese, but nothing extraordinary.

"Twice too many times. The little kid, I like. But her sister…." He rolled his eyes.

"Hey! That's my wife you're talking about." I said without any trace of anger.

"Yeah so you should know better than me." I shook my head and waved goodbye.

"See you around Haymitch."

"Yeah, yeah." He could complain all he wanted, he cared. And for the looks of it, our friendly neighbor intervention had done him well. That made me happy.

When I walked in the house Katniss was coming down the stairs.

"Your stuff is in my room. But I left your drawings on the desk."

"Thank you!" I said with a wide smile. Seeing her again never failed to cheer me up. "Did you see Haymitch finished the fence?" She looked unsurprised, even a little offended.

"Yeah, the old bastard." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"What? Why old bastard?"

"Because now he built the fence. Which will make Prim's hopeful that one day he'll stop drinking altogether and we both know it's not going to happen. If he hadn't done anything I'd have a better chance to convince her to let it go." I rolled my eyes.

"Katniss have you ever considered that seeing the best in people is actually a virtue?" She looked straight into my eyes.

"No." She was lying.

"You're a liar. But that's beside the point. Seeing the best in people is wonderful and Prim is one fortunate soul for seeing beauty where others prefer to look away." She looked upset.

"Others like myself, you mean." I had inadvertently offended her.

"No, I didn't mean-"I began.

"I don't care, Peeta."

"I do. And I didn't mean that it was wrong to be anything else. There is beauty in being able to see things as they are. Your mind is so clear about right and wrong, Katniss. I envy you for it." She didn't seem convinced but she looked less upset.

"Did Delly say anything about what the peacekeepers asked?" No wonder she was on edge. I was, too.

"She said nothing at all, they just check if you're pregnant and then they leave." She nodded and went upstairs again.

We went to sleep that night at the same time as usual. "Are you still mad at me?" I asked when I sat on her bed. She was already in her pajamas, pacing around the room while she undid her braid only to redo it again.

"Mad about what?" She seemed to have no idea of what I was talking about.

"Oh… I thought I'd bothered you earlier." She shook her head but she still seemed troubled by something. I just didn't know what. "Are you ok?" She sighed.

"I went to see Madge today." I should have known.

"How is she?" She shook her head.

"It's not good. He's getting worse. She didn't say anything but she had a bruise on her upper arm. I just know he did it." She sat next to me and I put an arm around her shoulders.

"Why doesn't she tell her father, surely he can do something?" Anger tainted her features.

"That's what I said, but she said her father was too busy to be bothered. She used to say the same thing when we were in school. I don't think he cares."

"How about someone else, does she have brothers or sisters?"

"Only one brother, their mother almost died after giving birth to Madge and they couldn't have children after that. Since then her mother's had headaches so she's always in bed. She doesn't care either." I sighed.

"We can always tell the peacekeepers."

"She asked me not to. I think she's afraid that they won't do anything and then Ilke will only be mad at her." I knew that feeling too well. Once Miche threatened to tell the Peacekeepers about mom after she broke a wooden pail on Rye's back. He didn't but the threat was enough to make my mother give us a good beating, as a warning.

"If she doesn't say something, nobody is going to help her." It was sad, but it was true. She needed to file a complaint personally.

"I don't think she'll do anything." She looked so hopeless, I wanted her to feel better so I strained to find an answer. We silently turned off the lights and went to bed. It was far easier than the first time, even with our added tension to take into account. The difference was that now both of us were keeping our distance, which made me smile a little.

"I'll tell you what." I said, trying to stop her from going to bed on a sour note. "If anything else happens to Madge, we'll go to the Mayor with her. So she feels supported."

"But she won't want to."

"Maybe not now, but if things get worse, maybe what she needs is some support. And we'll be there for her." She turned to me in the dark.

"You don't even know her." Her tone wasn't dismissive, she sounded amazed.

"But you do, and I trust that she's a good person." I thought, but I couldn't be sure, she smiled.

"You're too good, Peeta." She said, and turned her back to me. "Good night."

"Good night, Katniss." It had been an exhausting day. I fell asleep moments after I said that.

* * *

**First Month's clearance pt.2 is coming right up. **

**What did you think? **

**-M**


	12. First Month's Clearance Pt2

**Hey guys, here is part 2. I need to make a TRIGGER WARNING for this chapter. There will be mention of rape. I won't describe the rape itself but the wounds inflicted because of it. I made it as little graphic as possible without trying to diminish the severity of the situation. **

**If you don't want to read that, skip to number 2. **

**Hope you like it. **

**M. **

* * *

**1**.

As expected, the loud bang came in the middle of the night. But I was so deeply asleep that I was still startled. Surprisingly, Katniss was resting on my chest, and she sat upright the second she noticed she'd been sleeping on me. I made no mention of this, but I cleared my throat and moved to the edge of the bed.

"So Delly wasn't kidding." I said in a hoarse voice. Katniss already looked alert and awake. She was putting on a sweater when I left the room. I was wearing a shirt and pajama pants so there was no need to put anything else on. I hurried down the stairs and turned on the lights as I went. Another knock, only this time it was a lot quieter. Then something hit the door, and I knew it couldn't be the peacekeepers.

I ran to the door and I swung it open, a small figure fell on my feet. She'd fallen against the door, that's what I'd heard earlier. I fell on my knees to pick her up.

"Madge!" Katniss screamed when she reached the end of the staircase. Her face was so badly beaten, I'd only knew it was her because I'd seen her wearing that green dress before. "What happened?" Katniss asked frantically, but Madge was not conscious anymore.

"I think she fainted. We need to get her inside before anyone sees." I picked her up as carefully as I could and I took her upstairs. Katniss was distraught but she followed me as I took Madge to my bedroom. Katniss came in right behind me. As soon as she was down on the narrow bed and I noticed the blood on my clothes and I knew we would not be able to handle this alone. "We need help."

"Who will even come? We can't even leave the house! I can't believe she wasn't seen by a peacekeeper on her way here!" She said loudly. She was very upset. And I was too, Marge groaned a little and turned to her side. "We need your mother at least. She's bleeding a lot." Katniss gave me a serious look, she seemed less scared and more practical all of a sudden.

"I'll go, I can get around without being seen." She said strongly. "I'm not good taking care of the sick anyway."

"No, I'm not letting you out for the peacekeepers to catch you." It was late at night, they could do whatever they wanted with her and they'd be in their right to do so, she was out after hours. "_I'll_ go, you stay here in case she wakes up." Katniss shook her head.

"No, Peeta. I can't let you." She looked fierce.

"I promise you I will be safe," I said, sounding braver than I actually felt. "I wont take long." Katniss nodded. Madge groaned in pain, I could even pick up a soft sobbing sound. "She needs you." Katniss looked like she had made up her mind. She sat beside Madge. " I'm locking the door behind me when I go. If the peacekeepers come, stall as much as you can." I didn't know where Ilke was, but I hoped he didn't know where Madge had gone. "Don't open the door to anyone. I'll come back through the back."

"Hurry up." She said. I ran to get my shoes from the other room and put on a dark sweater so the blood wasn't visible. Luckily I had some money from our recent wages, I took it in case I had to bribe anyone. I came back to my room after I got dressed and watched as Katniss covered Madge with a blanket. After one last look at her I went downstairs and I made my way out as quietly as possible.

The streets were silent, undisturbed by our neighbors or any other form of human intervention. I looked around carefully, hoping to find at least one neighbor peeking out its window, but no one seemed to have heard Madge. Haymitch's light was on but that happened every night. I looked down the street before I walked out, it took me seconds to get to the closest alley. I feared that the way to the Seam would be packed with peacekeepers, but it was actually in town that I spotted a couple of them walking and talking loudly. Thankfully they expected so little crime in town that they were easy to avoid. I did my best to follow more or less the same path Katniss had taken me through after our Reaping. When I reached the Seam I felt a weight lifted from my shoulders all was clear all the way down to the small meadow. I did my best to call on the door as quietly as possible. Sooner than I expected, I head Katniss' mother's voice.

"Who is there?" she was used to emergency calls.

"It's me, Moira, Peeta." She opened the door immediately. She let me in and quietly closed the door behind me. I heard Prim's footsteps upstairs, she had heard me,too.

"What happened?" She asked, her terrorized face told me she expected the worst. I explained as well as I could. After a moment of silence, Moira spoke with a detached voice that reminded me of Katniss'. Prim had joined us in the living room. "Prim will go with you. If they peacekeepers should come, I will be able to distract them but finding Prim alone will only attract attention." Prim went up the stairs. I wondered if she was able enough to help but didn't question her or Moira at the moment. I watched as she packed a bag with plants and thread and needle. "Did you see her husband?" she asked and I shook my head.

"She just appeared on our doorstep. She didn't say anything, her face is too swollen." I said and she nodded putting some small jars in the bag as well.

"Did she had any ribs broken?" she asked and I realized we hadn't checked.

"I don't know, I just came to get you." I said. Prim was already dressed. As soon as she was with us, her mother started giving her instructions.

"You did fine. Prim, remember to clean the wounds and check carefully for the ribs and upper body. If you think it is necessary, you should examine the lower part of her body as well." She said and Prim nodded. I was shocked for a moment. Prim, such a little girl and she was well acquainted with the signs of abuse and possibly rape. Katniss underestimated her little sister.

"I will, mother," she said and took the bag. We came out of the house to the darkness of the night. The Seam had no electricity so it was hard to see.

"Be careful, if things get worse, come and get me." Moira whispered when we were out of the house. I didn't even say thank you. I took the bag from Prim and grabbed her hand, we ran so we would reach the house faster. It was easier to come back, Prim was well acquainted with the darker paths of the town. When we came back I stopped her and looked around, listening for anyone that might be lurking in the shadows. There was no one, it seemed clear, I still decided it was a better idea to come in the back door and so we walked around the house. Katniss heard my knocking and she opened the door, she looked relieved. Fortunately nobody had come while I was away. I locked the door behind me.

"She woke up a couple of times," Katniss said and Prim looked like her mother as she went in my tiny room with confidence and decision. Katniss and I stayed by the door. Prim moved over Madge and put an oil lamp on the chair where Katniss had been sitting. She touched Madge with ease and a kind touch. Madge began complaining but Prim didn't hesitate.

"He_ really_ hurt her face." Prim said with distaste but not half of the disgust Katniss and I had showed. She wasn't really afraid of wounds. "Could you get me a glass of water? I need her to drink something." I was already down the stairs. When I came back Prim had already put her things on my desk and she was taking out a little flask. She poured some drops in the water and turned to Madge. Madge was shaking now, but she seemed to be trying to be brave since she didn't make a sound, the pain must be bad.

"Hello, Madge," she said as if Madge was conscious and apparently she was because she groaned. "It's me, Prim, and I need you to drink this, it's going to help you feel better. All right?" she said and Madge parted her lips. It seemed like every swallow pained her because she groaned and gasped constantly. I saw Katniss cringing at every pained sound and I didn't even think about it, I put my hand on her shoulder. She moved towards me distractedly.

Finally, Madge stopped shaking. "I gave her sleeping syrup, its best if she is not awake for this, it will only hurt her more." She explained to us because apparently we needed an explanation, I realized I did at least. "Nice work cleaning the blood, Katniss." Only then did I notice it was true, Madge seemed cleaner already. Not that the swelling made it any easier to make out her features. Prim gave her sister a small smile before returning to her serious and professional attitude. Her tiny hands turned Madge's head. There was fresh blood coming from the wound.

Prim moved the hair from her head and even extracted a few pins that must have been holding her hair up. Then she took out a needle and the thread. "She'll need a few stitches." She said and I noticed Katniss looking down immediately. She really hated this. I did too. I tried to move my hand up and down her back hoping to calm her.

After stitching up the wound again, Prim cleaned it. It was entirely visible now. It was smaller than I would have thought since so much blood was coming out of it. She then went on to see the bruises on Madge's face. Everything she asked for, we brought her. I let Katniss do it because I knew she wanted to feel useful and avoid looking at her friend.

"I wish it was winter, that way we would have some snow to help with the swelling." She said reflectively.

Katniss brought what Prim needed to make use of the leaves when her sister asked her. She put some in the wound and then continued to apply something else in the biggest bruises that were turning purple. She assessed every wound and every scratch.

"He didn't break her jaw," she noted indifferently. I guessed this was a good thing. "I don't think he broke any of her bones but I need to check her upper body now. I'll have to undress her." There was my queue to leave. I moved to the small hall. I hoped Katniss would follow.

"I'll help you," she told Prim and they locked the door. I didn't know what to do so I sat down on the floor of the small hallway and waited, I even fetched the other oil lamp to light the hall. I folded my legs in front of me, they didn't fit outstretched and I put my elbows on my knees. I took off my sweater and leaned on it. They took maybe forty five minutes to finish, only coming out once so Katniss would retrieve some clean clothes for Madge from her room, by the time they were done I was already dozing off, I felt exhausted. I stood up. Katniss looked pale and unreachable. Prim looked grave but still focused. For once, their roles were reversed and Katniss was the one affected. I was immediately alert.

"She should be fine for now. Her wounds are clean and the drops will keep her asleep. I will watch her during the night, just in case. Unfortunately even if she had a concussion there isn't anything I could do to help. The only thing we can do is make her as comfortable as possible." She said and I nodded. I looked at Katniss again, her expression hurting every part of my being. "You should go to bed, I'll take care of her." Said Prim and I nodded.

"I'll take the couch, Prim you can sleep with your sister." I said already moving towards the stairs.

"There's no need, Peeta, if I do that neither of you will get any sleep. I'll have to check on her every hour so I can stay with her. You and Katniss can go to sleep now. Good night," Prim said as she locked the door to my room.

"Good night, Prim." Said Katniss and went in the room, I followed uneasily. I closed the door behind me. When I turned Katniss was sitting on the edge of the bed. She had the same expression as before. Lost. I was helpless, I had never seen her like that. I went to sit by her side.

"Katniss, are you all right?" I said and touched her shoulder hesitantly. She didn't flinch, I was grateful. She didn't say anything for a moment. Her eyes were full of rage, deeper than I'd seen before. This was not the hatred of all those things someone made you do, depriving you of your freedom. This was the hate for those who had already done something unspeakable, something too horrible to be forgiven.

"He raped her." She whispered. It was dark, no oil lamp lighted this bedroom. "She put up a fight so he hit her." She added. I felt my stomach twirling, I was suddenly feeling very sick. That boy, that man, who only seemed slightly temperamental had done something horrible to Madge. Sweet and quiet Madge. I didn't know what to say, I didn't even know what to do. So I reached out and took her in my arms.

"That's horrible." I whispered, my voice faltering. Great, she needed me to be strong for her and I was too distraught to be there for her. She was so stiff that for a moment I thought she would draw back, I was already loosening my grip on her when I felt her arms circling my waist in a strong grip. Then I heard her sob, and my heart broke. It was the most tragic sound I had ever heard. Katniss crying.

"There were bruises all over her stomach, Peeta, her legs too." She said and I knew she was trying not to cry, she was hiding her face in my neck so I could feel the fresh tears. She wasn't just sad, she was angry too. She didn't speak. She just clung to my body and I let her, wrapping my arms around her as if I could shield her from whatever she was feeling. I made circles on her back with my hand, hoping to soothe her. My other hand stroke her hair softly. I kissed her forehead, not because she was helpless but because I was. I didn't know what to do, I kept thinking of something, anything to make this better and I couldn't come up with anything.

After a long while of just holding her while she sobbed, her grip on my waist slacked. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she drew back from me. The lack of contact from her small body was almost painful at the moment.

"Don't be, I'm right here if you need me, Katniss." I whispered back and touched her face in the darkness. She leaned towards my hand before moving away abruptly.

"We should sleep, it's late." She said and got up. She went to her side of the bed. I removed my sweater and my blood soaked shirt. She handed me a clean one.

"Thank you," I whispered. I took my shoes off and she got to bed before me. Once I was in the bed I stared at the ceiling, feeling the heat radiating from the body under the covers and wondering how I would ever manage to sleep now. She was turning her back to me, she was tense in a fetal position, I would've given anything to make her feel better.

"Peeta," she whispered and I turned to the sound of her voice. Her eyes stared at me in wonder, they sparkled even in the dark, their gray color glistening in the moonlight.

"Mmm?" I said.

"How can they do it? How do people live like this?" it was her tone that shattered me. It was vulnerable, raw and pained. The voice of a little girl afraid of the world, asking me for answers about things she didn't comprehend. She had opened up to and it pained me to know that I didn't have an answer for her. I doubted anybody did.

"I don't know," I whispered as I turned towards her. "But this can't be all, Katniss, there's more to life than just this." I knew this was true. I had seen it. I had experienced it, because of _her_. She startled me when she turned to face me. Her body less tense, her eyes on me.

"Like what?" she was listening, I had her full attention. Whatever I told her now I knew she would remember. I had to make it count. On an impulse, I opened my arms to her and to my shock, she accepted my embrace. She placed her head on my chest and wrapped me with her arms. I held her as I had while we were standing and ran my fingers through her hair.

"Like happiness, and love and being safe with the ones you love." I whispered as I placed kisses on her head.

"I don't even know if all that's possible," she said, defeated. I could hear it now, the fear in her voice; it was plain on her entire body.

"It is. I've seen it and you have as well." My confidence didn't waver, it made her interested. "I've seen it in _you_, Katniss. In the way you take care of others and you love them. You make sacrifices and efforts for the ones you love not because they ask you but because you love them." She withdrew so she could look at me, her chin resting on her hand over my chest. I continued, trying my best to keep my voice steady. I placed a stray hair behind her ear and I let my hand linger on her cheek. "I see it in your face every time you kiss Prim goodbye and when you're worried about her. I see it in the happiness of my brother and his children, in my father's kindness, in Posy's giggles, in Vick's little jokes." There was a tear coming down her face now, I could see it. I put my hand over her cheek and wiped it with my thumb. "In Hazelle's devotion for her family. In your mother's healing. All these people, you've brought into my life had shown me precisely this. It may be difficult at times when horrible things like this happen, Katniss, but I am certain that you lead a life surrounded by love and bonds deeper than any tragedy. No matter how bad things get, this won't change." I had left my hands on her cheek. "When we got married I didn't know what I was signing up for, but after getting to know you and your family I know I made the right choice. We might not be in love," I tried not to choke on this part "and married because of it, but I care about you and about Prim and you make me feel safe and happy. Happier than I remember being. That is how I know this isn't it." I hoped that talking in plural would distract her a little for what I had just said. She didn't complain. She stared at me, her eyes full of wonder. There was a long silence in which I didn't attempt to move or say anything. I had already told her one of my disguised truths, no one had ever made me happier. Her eyes looked bright all of a sudden, even in the dark, and in a very slow and deliberate movement, she surprised me by moving towards me until her lips brushed against mine. At first gently, then, with a longing I thought I imagined. Her shy fingers held on to my forearm once her mouth left mine. I felt at a loss, I wanted to taste her again. She didn't go too far, she leaned her forehead on mine and closed her eyes.

"I feel safe with you," she whispered, before opening her eyes again and moving away enough to watch my reaction. For once, I didn't hold back. I looked at her the way I always wanted to look at her. In a way that was born from a place deeper than my awareness, I marveled in her beauty and shyness. I never understood how she could be so powerful and vulnerable at the same time. I smiled, because she was beautiful in many ways, and she had kissed me. She rested her head on my chest.

"You are safe," I whispered, "Always." I vowed and we were silent. She placed a silent kiss on my chest. I wondered what she thought of my heart, struggling to keep up with my excitement. I wanted to tell her I loved her, I wanted it more than anything. But I couldn't, even my enthusiasm couldn't blind me from the knowledge that it was too soon. So I was grateful rather than greedy, and in the silence of that small room I tried to memorize the feel of her in my body as she went from consciousness into a blissful slumber.

* * *

**2\. Katniss**

I thought our horrible night would be over after we went to bed, but Madge cried out a couple of times. We went to her the first time but Prim was already handling it when we got to her. The worst part was that she wasn't crying out from physical pain, but from the nightmares she was having. After that, we stayed in my room. I was so weak with hatred for this screwed up world that I turned to my only source of comfort, Peeta. He made me feel safe. I didn't know why but I was pretty certain that it had something to do with how every time something bad happened to me, he seemed to be there to make it better. Like dandelions.

Some part of me kept warning me he was probably uncomfortable that I was all over him, but I didn't care. I just couldn't handle this alone. I needed his words, and those only took on even more force when I touched him. I'd take advantage of this, for as long as I could. In the same way I benefited from being around Vick and Posy or with Prim, because their existence was comforting to me. Only Peeta's comfort felt stronger, perhaps because his innocence didn't stem from his youth, but rather from a kindness that didn't seem to have an end. I had none within me, so I decided that just during this horrible night, I borrow some from him.

I didn't know why we had to live our lives like this, or with each other, but I was glad I was with Peeta. I was smart enough to understand I was lucky, tonight more than ever.

"Are you awake?" Peeta whispered. I'd been awake since the last time Madge had woken up.

"Yes." I said in a low voice.

"Did you get any sleep?" He turned to see me.

"Not much." He looked up at the ceiling and we waited. We could get up in half an hour, and we would have plenty of time to get ready. But work was the least of my worries. "What are we going to do with Madge?" Peeta seemed to have been thinking the same thing. He turned to be resting on his side. I did the same so we were facing each other.

"We take care of her until she feels better. And when I can, I'll go speak to the Mayor." He looked like he'd given it a lot of thought. I'd kissed him last night, for no other reason than it felt amazing. I wondered if he gave much thought to that.

"You're not going alone. If anything,_ I'll_ go. I was the one who got you into this." Peeta shook his head.

"It would be strange for you to approach the mayor. I'll do it, everyone knows I'm a baker."

"And they know I'm your wife so I can come with you." There was no way I was letting him deal with this alone, it was because of my friendship with Madge that we were in this situation.

"Fine, we can decide when we do it later."

"Do you think anybody knows she's here?" Peeta shrugged.

"How could they?"

"What about Ilke?" I could tell that was exactly the question he didn't want to answer.

"I guess we'll deal with him if we have to. Hopefully he'll assume she went to her father's house." I sat up and Peeta stayed down. He rested his hand on my back. "We will figure this out. Just don't leave me out, ok? We need all the strength we can get." I had no intention of leaving him out. I was counting on his support. There was no way I could handle this alone.

"I won't." I whispered. I didn't look at him for fear that I would want to kiss him again. I got up and showered instead. Peeta stayed in bed.

* * *

I found Prim sleeping in the couch. Madge seemed to be sleeping, too.

"Little duck," I said rubbing her back. Peeta had gone to the kitchen to make them some breakfast. We were already dressed. Prim moved her head towards me and rubbed her eyes the same way she did whenever she woke up. She looked so young, even though she had looked so brave last night.

"Hey, does she need me?" She asked.

"No, she's alseep. We need to go to work. We're going to lock the front door, but you can unlock the back one. Peeta is making you something to eat, and I'll be back earlier to check up on you. Do you need anything?" She shook her head.

"Mom will come later. She'll tell Rory to say I'm sick at school. She'll come here and she'll check Madge." I nodded and kissed her forehead.

"Go upstairs, the bed is more comfortable than this couch." She smiled and she gave me a hug. "Thank, you. For everything."

"It's my job, silly." She mumbled and after a sleepy smile in Peeta's direction when he emerged from the kitchen she went upstairs. We were gathering our things when someone banged on the door. We froze and stared at each other. What if it was Ilke? They banged the door again. I wished I had my bow and arrow.

"Peacekeepers! Open up!" We booth breathed out. I heard footsteps upstairs and the door to Peeta's room closing. If they found them, we would be in serious trouble. Peeta opened the door. A tired looking Darius smiled at us.

"Woke you up, huh?" He looked like he wished he had. He was alone, thankfully. I was just hoping he wouldn't want to stay long.

"No, we were about to leave, in fact." Peeta looked relaxed. He gave Darius a welcoming smile. Darius came in.

"Great! Then I caught you right on time. I'm going to need to see those arms, if you will." He said and began retrieving his instruments. I was tense but Peeta seemed as comfortable as he would be on the bakery. I kept waiting for Marge to scream out in pain and give us all away.

"Long night?" Peeta asked in a friendly tone.

"You have no idea." For once Darius looked really serious. "Some idiot kept us all busy last night. He was drunk out of his mind. We had to take him back to headquarters until his father went to get him." He had taken out his screen.

"How can he get him if we got arrested?" Darius reached out for our arms and scanned them. I saw Peeta's name on the screen after he scanned his.

"His father is from the Capitol. He got him right out and threaten us if we told anyone. Which is pretty damn stupid if you ask me, since his son had already made quite a spectacle of himself. Everyone knows what he was up to last night and he can't just make that go away. I guess money can't buy everything, huh? It was odd because Darius was from the Capitol, too. But he seemed pleased that this guy was in trouble. I was too, since I knew what he had done before getting arrested. "Now let me see." He asked and I have him my hand. He pressed it against my arm and after a moment the red light illuminated the screen.

"No baby for you either, kids, sorry. It's been a rough month for the quota. I've only had ten pregnancies this month and four where advanced so they married before the reaping. Not that it's surprising." He sighed tiresomely. I thought I heard someone move upstairs. Peeta did too and started talking again.

"Do you still have more houses to go to, Darius?" Darius put away his things and we rolled down our sleeves.

"Just a couple. Then a seven hour shift with no sleep."

"I'll tell you what, why don't you come over to the bakery when you can and I'll get you some food on the house?" Darius eyes brightened.

"That sounds pretty damn good, actually. I'll come around the back at ten, if that works."

"Works perfectly." Peeta said. After shaking hands and Darius winking at me, he left.

"Why did you offer him food?"

"I feel like we should have him in our side now more than ever." He looked exhausted. "I'm also hoping to get more information on Ilke that way." That made sense. Thankfully he had thought about that. I'd been to scared about him finding out about Prim and Madge I hadn't really worried about anything else. Prim popped out her head from the stairs.

"Are they gone?" She whispered. We both nodded. "Are you...?" She asked hesitantly. I was taken a back by the question.

"No, Prim. Unfortunately not this time." Peeta said, kissing my cheek as if to comfort me."

"That's ok, very few couples manage to get pregnant on the first month." It felt weird to talk about this with Prim.

"We have to go." I said and Prim nodded.

"I left you some breakfast in the kitchen." Peeta told her.

"Thanks."

"How's Madge?" I asked Prim.

"She's still asleep. I think she'll be fine for an hour. Then I'll try to make her eat something."

"I'll bring over some soup, or something soft." I told her. After a hug from Prim for each of us, we went to the bakery.

"They'll be fine." Peeta told me when we were just a few steps from the house.

"I know." But I didn't. Ilke seemed to have some sort of immunity. Had it been anyone else, they'd be begging and bribing the peacekeepers to let them go. They usually took a lot of convincing to release someone. Once they reported your crimes to the Justice Building the Capitol found out. And if that happened, they could take you away and your spouse would be reassigned. Ilke hadn't been taken or even charged. Everything he had done last night was nothing more than a rumor. He had power, and what could we possibly do against that?

* * *

**I'm sorry about it being angsty but it was necessary. I promise fluff to come to make up for the tough spots! **

**If you liked it at all, let me know! **

**-M. **


	13. Bully

**Thank you for your reviews and all the follows I got on the last chapter. I really love to hear your thoughts because they make me more excited to write the next chapter. **

** I know I promised you some fluff but unfortunately, the story demanded to be told in a certain way and I think ultimately it was better than what I had planned before. Hope you like it. **

* * *

**1\. Peeta **

Ilke was as immune as you could get in this District. Darius had come by for some breakfast, I felt fortunate that he had accepted my invitation, since it meant our relationship was strengthening. And he told me everything I didn't want to hear. I dried up some recently washed plates with a cloth, trying to find the gentlest way to tell Katniss what Darius had shared. She would not like it.

To my dismay Katniss took almost no time to finish her deliveries and fifteen minutes before I expected her, she was back.

"What did he say?" She was flushed and her hair looked as if it had just been brushed back. She must have biked dangerously fast.

"We can't touch him." I said, with a sigh. Any way I said it, there was little hope of sparing Katniss' feelings.

"What? _Why_?" She said angrily. I put my hand on her shoulder and looked at the shop meaningfully. That way she'd know my mother was there. She rolled her eyes and waited.

"Ilke's father is well connected, and the only thing he truly cares about is his family's reputation. Ilke was pretty mad last night, nobody seems to know about what but Darius thinks he was looking for something." Katniss' silver eyes that had held so much warmth last night as she looked at me, looked dark now. I knew her anger well. I rubbed her back distractedly. "However, his anger only lasted until he was apprehended, after that he started crying and asking to see his father." Katniss' hands balled into fists and she moved away from me.

"So that's it? He gets to go free because he cried about it?" I made no effort to touch her, she seemed too mad to be within my reach.

"No, but because his father went to get him out. Darius thinks his father doesn't even like him. He kept saying how much of an idiot his son was and how he had embarrassed him. He played it so they think Ilke is a harmless idiot."

"But he's not!" She said loudly, her breathing came erratically.

"I know that, Katniss. But as far as the peacekeepers know all he did was go on a bender." It looked like her anger was getting the best of her, until suddenly, she looked focused.

"We have to tell the Mayor. We have to show him what he did to Madge. He's powerful, too. He'll know whom to talk to." I nodded but I was not sure that would work.

"We will, but we have to be careful about it. I don't want you in the middle of any scandals. Not when we're trying to keep them off our backs about the quota." She nodded but then she looked more worried than angry.

"Have you given any thought into how we're going to take care of that?" she asked timidly. I felt bad because I had nothing to share. I made a mental note to go to Haymitch's sometime this week. The more I knew him the more I thought he knew more than it seemed.

"No. But I'm on it." She nodded.

"I need to get going. I want to leave a little early so my mother can go back home." Moira had gone to our house earlier so that Prim could have some sleep and she could check on Madge. Prim seemed as willing to let me pay her for her help as Katniss did, so I decided to be sneaky and pay her with something she couldn't refuse. It wouldn't take too much time off my baking schedule anyway.

* * *

**2\. Katniss**

"How is she?" I asked my mother as she came down the stairs.

"Better. Unfortunately her wound is far more emotional than physical and there is very little I can do to make her feel safer." As far as healing went, I was never any good. It was even worse to know that I couldn't fix how she felt. Feelings were not something I'd ever understood much of. They were messy and confusing. "She has spoken some to me, but I believe she would rather talk to you about what happen."

"But why? I don't know what to say. I never do." My mother shrugged and put a hand on my shoulder.

"There's nothing to say. She only needs you to listen." Her hand moved to my cheek and I flinched slightly. After dad died, I'd never fallen back into the habit of letting her touch me. She moved towards the dining room without seeming to notice my reaction. "Get her to eat, she's been refusing to try anything but since there was some blood loss she needs her strength back. Also, try to keep her company when she's awake and maybe leave a light on in the hallway during the night, she might feel safer." It sounded like she was talking about a child. But I'd had nightmares before, after dad died and Gale was reaped. It was always nice to wake up to someone, or at least, into a warmly lit room.

"I'll get her an oil lamp for her bedroom." My mother nodded. "Thank you, mother." She looked at me and gave me an appreciative smile.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning to be with her." She packed up her things and she left. I was fortunate to be the daughter of a healer. It meant I didn't have to explain to anyone why she was coming here every day. The house was so quiet I felt like I was alone. I went upstairs to say hello to her. I tried to be loud so she wouldn't be startled, but when I opened the door slowly and said hi she was startled anyway.

"Sorry," I was already screwing up. "I didn't mean to scare you." She was sitting on the bed, with her back to the wall. She looked much younger than she was with her blond hair down. She was wearing one of my nightgowns.

"It's okay." Her voice was impossibly softer than usual. She also found it hard to talk, because her lip was so swollen it would bleed the moment she said anything. She was looking at the floor, avoiding my gaze. Which was unnecessary since my eyes were on the ceiling. I hadn't gotten used to the bruises on her face, or the way her hair stood up oddly on the side where he had hurt her the most. But that wasn't why I wasn't looking at her. I just didn't want her to feel like I was gawking at her.

"Are you hungry? I can get you anything you like. If we don't have it I can go to the store."

"No, thank you." She mumbled. I was usually good with silence. It was exactly what had drawn us together in the first place. We minded our business. But I felt like something needed to be said. There had to be something that would comfort her, but I didn't know what that was. The only thing I could give her was my anger and indignation, but I wasn't sure that was what she needed. I was not good at this. Where was Peeta?

Peeta.

"Did you know that Peeta draws?" Madge looked at me, dumbfounded. I was kind of surprised that I had said something like that, too, but thinking of Peeta made me think of all the things he was good at, like baking, talking to other humans or drawing. I'd never really seen Peeta's drawings but I knew they had to be good. Everything Peeta did was effortlessly excellent. Madge didn't say anything, but she was still looking at me. "He's always drawn. Do you want to see some of his drawings?" She didn't say anything. So I got up and went to his desk to get one of his sketching pads. "Look." I said and sat next to her and opened the first pad.

We didn't say anything. She decided when to change the page, and it was usually after we had looked at one of the many wonderful scenes Peeta drew. Here, in the silence Madge and I were trying not to break, they made everything lighter.

* * *

**Peeta**

"Katniss?" My mother's voice was so kind I knew right away that someone wealthy had to be at the front. She also looked happier than I had seen her in the past month. She loved it when she could brag to her friends and her sister about someone "important" who had come into the shop.

"She's not here." I said quietly. She was instantly enraged, she had always been terrible at hiding her distaste, she hastily closed the door behind her so nobody could hear her.

"Where is she?" Her anger was so very irrational. She knew Katniss left around this hour, she had insisted on it. Where did she think she was? I'd been so tense lately, and so tired, that it was harder to keep my expression composed. I wanted to be left alone.

"She's done for the day as usual." I said annoyed. "Is there something I can help you with, mother?" She whispered back angrily.

"That girl has the worst timing. Of all days to be up to no good. The mayor is here, and asking to speak to her. I told him I would personally see to his order, but he wants that girl. And where is she?" I was tense again. I never expected him to come to us. I wiped my hands.

"I'll talk to him." I said firmly.

"Don't be ridiculous you're just a baker."

"I think I know what his visit is about." I left the kitchen before she said anything else. Mayor Undersee straightened up when he saw me. He looked tired.

"Peeta," he said with a smile. He'd been coming for years and he knew my family very well. He stretched out his hand out to me, I took it and I felt my mother staring at us unabashedly.

"What can I do for you, sir?" He wiped his forehead nervously.

"I'm afraid I was in need of speaking to your wife, about a private matter." He must have noticed my mother's stare because his voice was suddenly quieter and her expression turned serious. The loudness of the shop was enough to conceal our voices. I walked towards the living room of my parent's home. It was adjacent to the front of the store and nobody ever went there. He followed me gladly.

"I believe I think you know what you're referring to." I whispered. "My wife is out most of the day, but she will be here in the afternoon. Or, if you prefer, you can come to our house later today. I think we have what you're looking for." His eyes brightened a little but other than that he made no gesture of knowing what I was talking about.

"It's not possible for me to come during the day, but I think something can be arranged during the night. Discretion has always been a priority to me." Why he would hide this from anyone, I didn't know, but somehow it seemed like a good sign.

"Of course." He whispered. Then he looked at the display window.

"That being decided," He said loudly. "I would like a strawberry cream cake delivered to my house. And throw in some nut bread if you can. It's a favorite of my wife's." I returned to my usual friendly demeanor.

"Gladly, sir." He patted my shoulder and left with a wave in my mother's direction. A brief as our encounter had just been I felt the muscles on my back tightening. I wanted nothing more but the best for Madge. I had no idea what the mayor expected to find, maybe he thought Ilke had scared her and she had run away? I doubted he had any idea of what that spoiled child was capable of. My mother reached me before I had even reached the oven.

"What were you two talking about?" Her annoyance was back.

"He asked me about bread, he has a meeting and he wasn't sure about what to get. But as you heard, he settled on a cake." She believed me because she grunted.

"The wealthiest man in town and he orders the cheapest cake. What a cheapskate." She left the kitchen. "Why did he want to talk to that girl? She's been here for less than two months and she has barely tasted anything we have, other than stale bread that is." She looked like even the idea of giving Katniss the stale bread we all shared wasteful.

"The people in his household and his wife send their regards." Her eyes rose with incredulity, "Katniss was always a good friend with the Mayor's daughter. Her name is Madge, I think," I did my best to look confused. I didn't need my mother telling her gossiping friends about them, especially not now. "And since we got married she hasn't had time to visit them." My mother crossed her arms over her chest and looked annoyed. I was pretty sure that she was mad because Katniss with little effort was friends with one of the most important families in the District and she still prided herself of knowing the butcher's wife. She turned on her heels and left.

* * *

**3\. Katniss**

I looked out the back yard and noticed that Peeta's tree, although growing, looked a little bit dry. I took a pitcher of water and walked up to it, feeling silly because without a word Peeta had me caring about his silly branch. When I reached the end of the yard and I leaned forward to water it, I heard someone sobbing in the other side of the fence. It was a woman.

I did my best to mind my business, but her sobs sounded so miserable and desperate. It made me think of Prim crying after a nightmare. And between the cracks of the small fence that divided our yards, I could see a flash of brown hair and a small frame. She was wearing a light green dress. I didn't know who she was, but she couldn't be much older than me. After Madge, I was already assuming the worst. Was she going through a similar situation?

"Hello?" I said loud enough for her to hear. I startled her and she jumped up from the rock she had been sitting on. She looked around, scared. "I didn't mean to scare you." I said, and I moved so I could see over the fence. "Are you ok?" I asked her, hoping that if she said no she would at least be willing to run away before something happened to her. She hesitated, but she decided to stay behind to talk to me. She moved so I could see her through a wider crack in the fence.

"I, oh, I am fine." Her bright green eyes were startling; I'd never seen eyes quite like that. "I'm just-" she seemed really confused about what she was feeling. I didn't get the confusion, she was clearly sad. And here I was, prying. I'd gotten worse than Peeta, it had to be his fault that I was acting like this. "I'm fine." She didn't run away so I wondered if she needed help.

"Do you need me to get someone for you? Maybe someone who can help you?" She seemed deeply confused, like I'd said something insane. This was exactly why I didn't mind other people's business; I always said the wrong thing. And it wasn't like I could get out of it the same way I'd gotten out of talking to Madge. I'd look crazy walking around with Peeta's drawings showing them to whoever was sad.

"I have no one," A tear escaped her pretty wide eyes. "At least not here. I'm a long way from home." She had long brown hair and slightly tanned skin. She had to be part of the couple that had been assigned to District 12 a while ago.

"You're not from District 12, are you?" She shook her head and wiped her cheek. "I'm Katniss." I didn't know what else to say.

"I'm Annie." She seemed to be extremely shy.

"I have to go soon, Annie. But if you ever want to talk, you can come to my house." My awkward offer was out and as soon I made the plans I knew I would not want to actually go through with them. What would I say to a complete stranger? Maybe I'd bring Prim over to talk to her; she'd know what to say.

"Thank you, Katniss." She said, wiping her tears. She began to walk away back home.

"See you around." I said, she waved goodbye. I emptied the rest of the pitcher on Peeta's tree and I went inside. I had to stop acting like I could help people the same way Peeta and Prim did.

* * *

**4\. Peeta**

We were in Katniss' bed. We were both quiet and wearing clothes even though it was 10:00 in the evening and we were exhausted. We were waiting for the Mayor.

"You'd think he'd have the decency to come at a reasonable hour." Katniss said angrily. She was glad we would get to talk to him, but it annoyed her that he hadn't immediately demanded to see her. I grabbed her hand.

"At least he is coming." She rolled her eyes at me, but she held on to my hand. "I hope I didn't upset Madge too much. Katniss' expression immediately changed. I thought about how earlier I had approached Madge when she was alone to say hello and she had cringed away from me, she'd started to cry. I left the room and got Katniss.

"She wasn't upset," I raised an eyebrow in complete disbelief. "Ok, she was upset. But not because of you. She told me she had been dozing off and when you said hi she thought for a second that it was Ilke. I think she prefers to be around women right now." I nodded, feeling bad for putting her through any form of discomfort. "But she really liked the bread you brought her." Katniss' effort to spare my feelings was endearing. I chuckled.

"So did Prim." She'd had her cheeks so full she looked like a tiny blond squirrel. Katniss smiled. I ran my fingers through her knuckles distractedly.

"I met someone today," Katniss began to say, but we both heard a soft knock in the back door and we sat up. We got up in silence and we went downstairs. I opened the door, to my surprise; it wasn't the mayor waiting for us.

"Good evening." Katniss' eyes widened for a moment.

"Mrs. Undersee." It was quite a sight to see Katniss so surprised. It was Madge's mom. I had never really seen her in person. Not after I was ten years old. She used to go to all the public functions, but one day she stopped coming and only those very close to her saw her in occasion.

She was a small, elegant woman. Madge was a lot like her, but she had a brightness to her that her mother had lost. At least before Ilke hurt her. I looked at Katniss, and her shocked expression told me it was as odd for her to be out as I thought it was.

"Do you know where my daughter is?" She said in a low voice.

"She's upstairs, sleeping." I told her.

"Can I see her?" She whispered.

"Please." I said, and led her to the room. Katniss stayed in the kitchen. I had no opportunity to check on her because Madge's mother seemed like she needed help to get up the stairs. I let her hold on to my arm and we walked slowly upstairs. When we reached the door I stopped. "It's better if you come in alone. Madge is easily startled, she'll calm down when she sees you." She nodded and went inside. Madge must have heard us moving around, she was sitting up in the dimly lit room.

"Mom?" Her voice was so child-like that it broke my heart. I went downstairs. They needed some privacy.

Katniss was leaning on the counter, her arms tightly around herself, her expression lost.

"What's wrong?" She shook her head, but I couldn't resist, I put my arms around her.

"Something's wrong. Why didn't the Mayor come?" I knew what she meant, but I was never quick to make conclusions that made everyone seem horrible.

"I don't know. But he is easily recognizable, maybe he wanted to avoid getting attention." Katniss nodded. I dropped my arms and made myself useful, I made tea. An hour and a half later, Madge's mother came down the stairs. Her eyes were so red and swollen anyone could tell she'd been crying.

"I must speak to you two, now." She said looking paler and sicker than when she got here. I led her to the dining room and Katniss fetched an oil lamp. We sat across from her in the dining room table. "My daughter explained what happened." Her voice shook. She looked at the table in front of her and nothing else. "She wanted to come with me but I'm afraid that isn't possible." Katniss frowned.

"Why?" She asked sharply.

"I believe my daughter will feel better if she gathers her strength here. At our home, he would find her." She said the word with disgust.

"What is going to happen to Ilke?" Katniss demanded. She took a deep sigh.

"My husband is taking care of that." She said bitterly. She looked at us at last. "Will you let her stay?" She begged.

"Of course." I said, Katniss' jaw clenched but I didn't understand why.

"Thank you. I will make sure you are compensated." I wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but she was standing up already. We got up and followed her, and before she left she took Katniss' hand and squeezed it. They didn't look at each other. And she was gone.

"That's it?" Katniss said angrily once the door was shut behind her.

"My guess is it isn't." I tried to hold her but she wouldn't let me.

"I'll check on Madge." She said and went upstairs. I stayed behind and cleaned up the kitchen. When I got into bed, she was quiet. I didn't try to talk, we fell asleep quickly enough.

* * *

**5.**

It didn't take a genius to understand that Katniss was in a bad mood the next day. She was quieter than usual; her movements were abrupt and angry. I gave her space. This went on for a couple of days. It surprised me to see how much I resented her distance from me, we'd become so close I'd given that happiness for granted. And even though I knew she wasn't mad at me, I missed her.

Once I was done for the day, I went to the Seam to deliver another treat for Prim. Katniss had left with barely a word in the afternoon and I'd been wanting to thank Prim personally for all her help during the week. I got to her house and Prim and Rory were sitting close together on the front steps. I smiled because Prim was blushing and Rory looked like the house could fall apart around them and he wouldn't notice. I felt bad for interrupting them.

"Hey," I said loudly. Inevitably, they both blushed. Prim jumped off the step.

"Hi, Peeta." She said happily and she brushed her hair behind her ear anxiously. She put her hands on the edge of the fence."Do you need to see my mom?" I knew better than to stay and chat.

"No, I just wanted to give you these." I handed her a package. "You deserve it after all the help you have us with Madge." She smiled proudly.

"It's my job. And you gave me so much already." I patted her hand.

"And you deserve even more. Thank you, Prim. Come visit anytime you want." I lowered my voice "And bring Rory." I said quietly and winked at her. She blushed furiously. I walked away but she followed me.

"Hey Peeta!" She grabbed my arm. "Be patient with Katniss, she's not very good at dealing with things. Whenever she gets sad, she shuts everyone out." Insightful and most likely correct.

"I want to give her space, but I don't want her to think she has to deal with everything alone." I felt slightly ridiculous for talking about this with her. But I knew better than to ignore her opinion, if anyone knew Katniss, it was Prim.

"She won't. She needs to figure things out on her own, and then she'll come to you." I had to believe her because I wanted to, and because I was out of ideas.

"Thanks, Prim." She smiled at me and ran off, back to share her treats with Rory. I waved at him and I left.

* * *

**Katniss**

I wanted to leave. Just for a minute or two I wanted to be away from everything that had made me so angry. I didn't know what to do. Madge was broken. What Ilke had done to her made her lose a part of who she was. She looked like an empty shell. It was as if she'd been thrown into a deep well and now nothing could reach her. It didn't bother me that she was upset, she had every right to be. What had me running away from all of it was that there was nothing I could do to make her feel better.

Peeta tried his hardest, and as usual he managed to keep a straight face. His attempts were as pointless as mine, but he never lost hope. I was not like that; I hadn't even been able to help my mother when she needed me most. And I couldn't even help Peeta with all of this; all I could do was hide. After work I'd come to the woods, not because I needed to hunt, but because I needed to be in a place that was only my own. I'd even gotten a squirrel out of it.

It was getting late, so I began my walk back to the house. I put away my bow and hid the squirrel in the game bag I had brought out of habit. I was so angry. I wanted Ilke to be in as much pain as Madge was. But there was nothing I could do, I felt helpless. There was nothing I hated more than feeling that.

On my way back I saw the bakery, and since nobody loved my squirrels as much as Peeta's dad, I thought I would drop it off for him. The door in the back was unlocked so I walked in. But as soon as I did I heard the screams.

"Eudora, calm down!" I'd never heard Milles yell like that before.

"I will not! It is always the same story with you and your son. Always trying to make me look like a villain because I want to be fair." I highly doubted that. I thought it normal for them to argue so I was about to leave. But then I heard a loud shattering sound, and then someone falling. I didn't think. Maybe if I had, nothing of what came next would've happened.

I burst into the room and saw Milles on the floor, several plates shattered around him. She had an oil lamp that she was about to throw at him. I saw him put his arms over his head to protect himself and I lost it. I was tired of people like her hurting others. So without hesitation, I lunged at her. I pushed her away from Milles, which made her drop the lamp she'd been holding. The lamp shattered and oil splashed her feet and skirt. I'd pushed her so hard that she lost her balance and hit the tall book shelf behind her. I heard a sharp intake of breath and something else breaking. It took me a moment to realize that something from the bookshelf had fallen on her. There were small cuts all over her neck and face.

"You bitch!" She screamed out. She ran her fingers through her neck and found the small cuts. Her fingers shook when she saw the blood. She was bleeding, but it was nothing compared to what I knew she'd done to Peeta or Milles. And now she was going to hit me, I braced myself to fight back. But Milles, who had gotten up when I pushed her away, stopped her.

"That's enough!" He said and grabbed her tightly by the arms. "Leave her alone." He sounded angry, I'd never heard him say something like that. Eudora twisted in his arms and when she broke free she glared at me.

"You're going to regret this." She said, seething with rage. I glared back. I was not afraid of her. She gave Milles one more disgusted look and she left through the front door.

Milles' bravado had disappeared. He gave me a saddened look.

"Go home, Katniss." He pleaded. "She will be back, and when she does she can't find you here." What had just happened caught up with me. I took a deep breath.

"Will you be fine?" I asked and he nodded.

"Just go, sweetheart." He said and brushed my hair back. I ran back home.

What was I going to tell Peeta?

* * *

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	14. With you

**Thank you for staying tuned and for your follows and fav's! I always read your reviews with a lot of excitement. **

**This chapter poured out of me so I hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

**1\. Katniss**

I was so scared that when I ran, I ran to the Seam. Back at my house Madge was sad beyond my reach and Peeta… he would be happy, but for how long? I realized then that I'd kept away from Peeta for a reason. We were just too different. He was too kind and loving, and I, I always said the wrong thing. I couldn't keep my mouth shut when I should and my temper got the best of me. I should've just left when I heard his parents arguing. It just wasn't my business. Now I was sure Peeta would be mad at me. I just wasn't sure I could handle him being mad at me.

Gale was mad for so long that it hurt me. Especially when he left and I didn't even get to say goodbye. That had been the worst day of my life, but somehow, hurting Peeta seemed worse than that. At least Gale infuriated me enough that I could be mad at him. We were so similar I could be angry at him. Peeta on the other hand, seemed so unbearably kind. It would be like disappointing Prim. I wasn't sure that I would be able to. I felt a tear run down my cheek and I wiped it in embarrassment. I was being so childish.

I stopped mid run. The Seam would not do me any good. My mother and Prim would comfort me and I would be as uncomfortable as when I left, because it wasn't them I needed to face. I needed to tell Peeta. I needed to help him with Madge. If he got angry, I would listen. Because I deserved any angry word he could conjure up, I had no right to intervene with his family like that.

I'd spent so much time in the woods that I hadn't realized how late it was. The sun was almost entirely hidden from view by the time I made it home. With the street lights I managed to see Haymitch's silhouette standing in his front yard. I avoided him and decided to enter through the back door instead. Before I entered I saw the house from a distance. The few patches of grass in the backyard needed a trim. Peeta's tree had a new leaf. And I could see Peeta through the kitchen's window. He was moving around, probably making dinner. A pang of guilt shot through my chest.

I walked up to the house as quiet as I was Peeta saw me before I made it to the door. His face flooded with relief when he saw it was me. I didn't walk another step, but I didn't have to move a muscle because he had already enveloped me in a warm hug.

"Katniss," he breathed. He sounded so happy a concerned at the same time. I did my best not to cry anymore. I never quite realized just how comfortable it was in his arms. I felt safe. "I was so worried something had happened to you." I had little to say.

"I'm ok." I mumbled, but there was no hiding from Peeta. He released me from his embrace and watched me carefully.

"Something happened, what was it?" I took a deep breath.

"Please don't be mad," my voice broke a little and his concern only grew. "I went hunting to clear my head, and I caught a squirrel. I brought it to the bakery since your father likes them so much, but when I got there your parents were arguing." For once Peeta didn't look boyish, the apprehension in his features made him look older. "I thought it was just another argument, I didn't want to meddle. But then, I heard your mother throwing things and your father falling. And I couldn't let her hurt him." Peeta looked sad but his sadness gave way to his concern. He cupped my face with his hands and his bright blue eyes bore into mine.

"Did she hurt you?" I shook my head but I couldn't speak. He'd never hurt his mother, how would he forgive me for hurting her instead? "Did she harm you in any way?" His eyes were pleading, but still kind. I feared so much that his expression would change.

"I hurt her." I finally confessed. "But I didn't meant to, Peeta, I swear! I only wanted to stop her from hurting your dad." His arms dropped from my face, he gave a small step back. He was mad at me, I knew it.

"Is she badly hurt?" He asked without looking at me.

"No," I said. "But when I pushed her away something fell on her, something made of glass, I think. She had some cuts around her neck but she was fine. She was just really angry." Tears escaped my eyes but for once, Peeta did nothing to comfort me.

"How is my father?"

"He was fine, I couldn't see any wounds on him." I said and his disappointment was so plain on his face that I could barely look at him.

"Oh Katniss," He sighed. I looked at the floor and folded my arms around myself. I'd really made a mess this time. I was so upset I could feel my heart beat all over my body. I counted the beats to stop myself from crying. I had to be strong now, it wouldn't be long before he told me just how angry he was.

And suddenly I was in his arms. He embraced me with such care that I didn't stop myself from leaning on him. He planted kisses on top of my head while he said "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He said it over and over again. The little strength I had managed to gather was gone, I had been so stressed before and now I was so relived I couldn't help myself, my tension escaped me in the form of tears. "Please, Katniss, can you ever forgive me?" I shook my head and I looked at his heartbroken expression.

"I'm sorry, Peeta. I didn't mean to lose control like that." He shook his head and ran his hand through my head, brushing my hair back like his father had done earlier.

"No, don't be silly. You were protecting my father, and I'm so grateful. But to think that something could've happened to you because of my mother," He looked so mortified, and he held me close to him again. I breathed in his scent, bread, flour and honey. He smelled just right, and the fact that he was holding me like this and that it seemed so familiar made me relax further.

"I'm fine." I mumbled. His arms dropped slightly, and his right hand cupped my cheek again. His concern was back.

"Are you really? Katniss, lately I've been feeling like something's bothering you, and I know you're sad about Madge, but I can't help but feel that there's something else." I felt shy, but for a very different reason than before. I didn't want him to know how poorly I handled situations like the one we were currently in. I wanted to think that I was brave, that I could handle everything. I didn't know why.

"I…" I said and he seemed so eager to be of any help. And I wanted so badly to let him in, but I didn't know if I could. Peeta was this pure, distant being that lived in a reality beyond my own. Where everyone was always kind and where love adds something to your life rather than take from it. I could never see such kindness, and I never understood why anyone would want to love someone who had the potential of hurting me. It made me think of the empty shell, of the lonely meals next to a woman that was no longer a mother and the fear of not having enough, not having anything at all. My throat felt so thick I could not utter a word I felt Peeta's thumb caressing my cheekbone.

"I see so much in your eyes, Katniss. Your mind is racing and I wish you would tell me why." When I remained silent he didn't pressure me. Instead, he moved forward and placed a kiss on my forehead, like he could scatter all my sad memories from my mind with that sweet gesture. They didn't go anywhere, but somehow, I felt strong enough to say something.

"I'm scared." I whispered, trying to ignore the tears that were escaping my eyes uncontrollably because they would distract me. "I don't want to disappoint you." Sweetness saturated his features.

"You could never do that." He whispered. And I believed him. It was as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes and I understood myself better. Why hadn't I seen this before? I sat by the edge of the little back porch we had. Peeta joined me and held my hands. I held on to him because it was a constant reminder that I was able to do this, because of him and his help.

"When my father died, my mother changed. She became empty and absent, she didn't have enough energy to get off the bed every day, least of all to take care of us. I was so young when we ran out of food, younger than Prim is now. Soon we had no savings and we went from hungry to starving in little time. I kept asking my mother what to do but she wouldn't answer. And my promises to Prim that everything would be ok slowly became lies. I didn't know what to do." I cried some more leaning on his side, he placed his arm over my shoulders. "I thought I was going to have to watch my sister die of starvation, and since my mother was so weak I thought she would be next and I would be alone. I was so afraid every night, hunger wasn't the only thing keeping me up. Eventually I began hunting and everything became better, but that took a long time." He brushed my hair back. "My mother regained strength, and eventually she managed to be more like herself again. But the damage was done. I'm so scared of that state she was in," my cries overwhelmed me and all he did was hold me close and kiss the side of my head. I realized no that that was all I needed.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," He whispered. And because it was Peeta holding me, I let myself be held and comforted. The last time I had done that, my father had been alive. I hid my face in his neck, I wanted to be enveloped by his warmth and kindness.

He held me for a long time. I wondered if he'd ever get tired but he never did. And when I had cried enough that I felt a little like myself again, I looked up at him. I wasn't sure I recognized what I saw. I'd seen Peeta's kindness before but this was more than that. There was warmth there; I couldn't quite know what it was. But I liked it so I returned his gaze. I felt seen but in a good way. Somehow I knew he'd never try to hurt me with what I had just shared. And it felt nice… to share a part of myself that I had kept hidden and see that the world hadn't suddenly fallen apart. I regained my voice, Peeta wiped away my tears.

"Seeing Madge like that… it made me feel like I used to feel when my mom was out of it. I don't like feeling helpless." His eyes were compassionate.

"I understand. And I'm so sorry you were reminded of that time in your life." His hand slid down my arm and he rubbed it up and down. "But Katniss, please, I need you to know that you're not alone. You don't need to go through this alone. There might not be a lot I can do about what happened to Madge or what happened in your past, but I want to be with you." I sighed, I appreciated his efforts, but crying about things had never been the most useful thing.

"Thanks, Peeta. But it isn't like things are going to change."

"No, they won't. But they will feel more manageable if you know there's someone there to help you out. And I want to be that for you, Katniss. I don't want you to ever feel like you'll have to handle everything on your own again."

His words answered a need I didn't know I had. Like the other night, he had a way of making me feel so much better, even when I'd messed everything up and things around us seemed to be falling apart. How did he do it?

"Thank you." Sometimes I felt like I could thank him for the rest of my life and it would never be enough.

"Just let me in, please. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on." He caressed my cheek again.

"I'll try." The brightness of his smile managed the impossible. Hesitantly, he kissed me. I gave into the contact of our lips with the same eagerness I had given into every other touch. And I didn't think of who might be watching or why he was doing it, I didn't even think what it may mean. I just wanted to kiss him, it felt right.

I was becoming a little light headed when he finally moved away. The warmth in his eyes had gotten suddenly brighter.

"I made you dinner." He said cheerily. I smiled, feeling genuinely happy.

"You say that like its news, Peeta. You always make me dinner."

"Well that's just because that's what husbands are for." I was about to complain about how that really wasn't at all true since most men had the nerve to demand to be served after their wives had also shared a full work day, but he didn't let me. He seemed to be determined to make me happy at least for the rest of the evening. I let him do exactly that.

* * *

**2.**

Before we had dinner, I went to see Madge. She was looking at Peeta's drawings; apparently Peeta had shown her a new pad after she mentioned what I did before. I offered her to join us for dinner downstairs if she had the energy, but she assured me she was better off in her room. I brought her some soup instead.

"He is very talented." She said when I returned, her fingers were tracing the lines of a picture I couldn't see from where I was standing.

"He is." I said with a smile. How had I not noticed before that Peeta always seemed to be drawing something?

"He is also very kind." She said with a saddened smile. "I'm sorry I came to your house, Katniss. I didn't know where else to go." She hadn't talked about that from the moment she'd woken up. I went over to her bed and sat across from her. I saw how much she had healed and how little attention I had paid to the bruises that were slowly fading. Nobody in their right mind would think that just because her bruises were gone she was healing.

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you came here." I moved my hand towards her, giving her plenty of time to see what I was doing. She hadn't reacted well to physical contact lately, so it was best to let her know your intentions or you'd startle her. She cringed a little but she didn't move my hand away from her.

"I am lucky to have you as a friend." She patted my hand slightly before moving her own away. Her eyes returned to the void that was becoming her only familiar space now, I felt myself becoming more and more uncomfortable, but after the talk I'd had with Peeta, I felt strong. So I didn't leave immediately.

"Dinner is there, Madge. I expect you to give me an empty plate when I return." Then I saw the blond hair scattered around her, I hadn't been so observant of her overall state. "Then I think we need to brush your hair so it doesn't tangle as much. I'll be back after dinner and I'll braid it before bedtime." I said to an apparently oblivious Madge. She hadn't said that she wanted me to do it, but I remembered how Prim would always clean my mother up, saying that she would never feel better with tangled hair or a dirty face. I always thought it was pointless, but maybe I had been wrong. Maybe it wasn't so much about keeping hair untangled, but more about letting people know you were there. Maybe I could do that for Madge.

I went downstairs and found a smiling Peeta pouring soup into a plate.

"All set." He said with a grin. I sat beside him and I ate, happier than I'd been in a while.

* * *

It wasn't until we were in bed that I brought up what I knew he had to be thinking as well but he was too sweet to bring up.

"What do you think your mother will do?" I said in the darkened room. He took a deep breath and took a moment to answer.

"I don't really know. She's kind of unpredictable. But whenever they have a bad argument she leaves for a couple of days. I think it's her way to make him feel like he couldn't do anything without her. I doubt she'll be there tomorrow."

"I'm still sorry about what happened." I really wanted to make that clear. Peeta looked genuinely ok with my reaction. He offered me his arm and I laid my head on his chest. We'd been sleeping in the same bed for a week now; I was used so used to him by now that it seemed pointless to pretend otherwise.

"It's all my mother's fault. She's the one who should be ashamed of her behavior. However, I think you should stay away from the bakery for a couple of days," I felt a sudden weight pushing down my stomach. Maybe he was angry after all.

"Ok." I said in a detached voice.

"You know it's not about me. I'm concerned that if she's still angry when you're back she'll try to hurt you. Let her cool off and then you can come back." I nodded, but even in the dark I felt him turn his head towards me while he looked at me. "Don't be silly Katniss; you know I'll miss you." He said playfully and I couldn't help but smile. He was so absurd.

"Fine. But please tell your father I didn't mean to hurt her. I just wanted him safe." Peeta laid on his side and smiled at me. His eyes began to close, and only after I noticed how long his lashes were did I realize that we were really close to each other.

"I promise, Katniss, he knows that very well." He sighed deeply and began to fall asleep. I watched how his face relaxed slowly, his curls were all over the place and when I brushed his hair back slightly he smiled. I didn't move away from him to fall asleep, I always woke up really close to him anyway.

* * *

**3\. Peeta**

The house was silent when I got there the next morning. As promised, Katniss had stayed at home for the day. Today was Sunday, my day off, so I didn't have to work. However, I wanted to make sure my father was truly ok. I didn't want to alarm Katniss before, but my mother had an uncanny ability to inflict wounds where they wouldn't be visible. I went to check the rest of the house, sure enough I found the shattered oil lamp, a couple of plates and my mother's vase, a present form her sister. I wonder if that had been what Katniss was talking about, if it had fallen on my mother, she must be really hurt. I wanted to feel more concern over my own mother, but I couldn't. I was just relieved my father and Katniss were all right. If my mother had so much as touched her, I don't know what I would've done. I got a broom and started cleaning up the mess.

"Son?" His voice came from the stairs.

"I'm here, dad." I said. He reached the end of the stairs, he look like he'd just woken up. I was startled to find him still wearing his robe, my father had strict personal rules about coming downstairs without fixing his appearance first. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink.

"Leave that, I'll get to it later." He mumbled, his hand went up to his face and he wiped his eyes like he always did when he was extremely tired. I looked at him carefully but he seemed to be free of any visible wound and he wasn't walking with any kind of strain, so he must be ok.

"I don't mind, dad. How about some breakfast?" He nodded and walked slowly into the kitchen. I cleaned up my mother's mess, as usual and went to get the tale from my father. He made the food and served it, then he brought some bread to the table and began his tale. It started like all of the others did. My mother was angry, looking for someone to take it out on, but she was in a particularly bad temper so she was just looking for a reason to explode.

"What finally set her off was that she overheard me giving a discount to someone from the Seam. The Hestings are a good hardworking family, they always pay their dues. I only help them out because I know that if you give them a little bit of help, they come around. Your mother disagrees." He drank some of his tea.

"Katniss made it seem like she was really out of control." He sighed and looked deeply embarrassed.

"She started telling me that I only sympathized with people from the Seam because of you and Katniss. It's only unfortunate that Katniss walked in, she would've probably let it go eventually." I could only imagine what my mother had said about Katniss and me, to get my father to argue back. But that wasn't what really enraged me. What made me get over the edge was that he always tried to make it look like she hadn't been about to hurt him badly. Like he could take her abuse forever.

"I'm glad she came in before mother hurt you worse. I just feel like a coward for needing my wife to fight my battles for me." His brow furrowed and he put an arm on my shoulder.

"Don't say that son. You're a brave man, doing what is right even when you want to do wrong is a very special type of bravery." I knew where he was coming from, but my anger was too deep and it had lasted for too long to simply be dismissed by a lecture on right and wrong.

"If she ever touches Katniss, I can't promise you I won't do something about it." He looked painfully terrified.

"It won't ever come to that, son. I will never let her." He promised, but as much as I loved my father I wondered if even he believed himself. My brothers and I had been beaten repeatedly all of our lives.

"Is she at her sister's?" I asked, doing my best to let my anger go.

"Yes. I expect her to stay there for a while, until she heals at least. How is Katniss?" He asked, looking far more worried about her that he had been about my mother

"She thought I would be angry at her. She'd come to bring you a squirrel." He gave a saddened smile.

"I know, I found it outside after she left." He looked so tired.

"I'll clean up and then I'll get going. Would you like to be with us today? Moira and Prim might visit." I wasn't sure on this last point.

"That's quite a tempting offer, but I rather stay here. I need to do some thinking." I nodded. "I'm going to go rest now." He said and went upstairs. As I watched him getting up the stairs on stiff legs, I was filled with despair at the thought of the life he'd had with my mother. I'd wished with all my heart he'd had a better life.

* * *

I was almost done cleaning the kitchen when I heard a knock and after quick deliberation I decided that it had to be Katniss. Who else would knock? It was not Katniss, not even close.

"Hello," the man before me said. I'd never seen him before; I would remember if I had since he didn't really blend in with the crowd.

"Hello, how can I help you?" I still had the broom in my hand and I set it aside.

"Is this your bakery or do you work here?" I'd had this conversation before, I knew exactly where it was headed.

"It's my family's bakery, so I think you could say both." He looked like he was figuring me out but he didn't do it blatantly, he was subtle. He also seemed very confident for someone who was about to ask me for a job. I was already thinking about a way to say no. There was no work anyway, and my mother would really lose her mind if she saw I'd hired someone else.

"Is there any work I can do for you? I don't know anything of baking but I'm a quick learner and I can also be very persuasive if you want to increase sales." The way he spoke was different than I was used to. He clearly wasn't from around here.

"I'm sorry, sir. There's nothing around here you can-"His confidence seemed to waver and he seemed to go through great pains to say what he was about to say.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I really need this job." It was odd to see someone who seemed so smooth to ask for something that showed his vulnerability. "My wife and I were transferred from another District and I haven't been able to find a decent occupation anywhere. We're running out of savings and I really don't want to bargain the house we live in because we can't afford food." For someone who seemed so comfortable in his own skin, he seemed truthful and above all desperate. I highly doubted anyone would give employment to outsiders. The merchants were very closed up about everything. I thought of anything I could do for them. I could see he was beginning to lose hope.

"I can't give you steady employment." I admitted, his expression fell slightly "But," I said remembering the monthly deliveries that were coming up next week. "How about a temporary one?" He looked deeply appreciative.

"What do you need?" He asked.

"We get our supplies every month from the train station, but they're really heavy so I hire someone on the outside to help me transport them back to the bakery. If you want to help me out with that I could pay you for a day's work." He looked strong enough to handle it. He smiled widely and looked incredibly out of place. He looked too perfect, like somebody from the capitol. I wondered if that had been why nobody seemed to want to hire him.

"I'll be there." He said and nodded. He turned around to walk away but I stopped him.

"Hey," I called out, I went in and retrieved two of the longest loaves of bread that we had. I was about to take them home since they'd gone stale, but there was other bread I could take, too. I put it on a bag. "Here." He seemed reluctant to accept it. He reminded me faintly of Katniss. "Take them, as an apology for the way you've been treated in the District so far." He took them warily. "They're not fresh, but warm them up in the stove and they'll do." He nodded and offered me his hand I shook it.

"Thank you, _truly_, thank you. Do you go by anything other than hello or sir?" His confidence was back in full force.

"Peeta. I'll see you at the train station next week, be there early so I can explain what we'll do." I answered.

"I'm Finnick. And I'll be there." Finnick left and I hope I'd made the right choice. If he didn't show I'd have to carry everything back on my own and that would not be fun.

* * *

**4\. Katniss**

"Katniss?" I'd been cleaning my room when Madge's soft voice awoke me from my thoughts.

"Madge," I said with a smile. She was wearing one of my dresses again, I would've lent her something else but I thought she like dresses more than she liked pants. "Is there anything you need?" She shook her head.

"I was just wondering if you needed some company." I smiled.

"Sure." It was like we were at school again, and she was asking to eat lunch with me. Madge and I were completely different, except in one way: we liked silence. So I didn't pressure her and instead I continued with my cleaning. I had washed some of our clothes and now I was folding our laundry. She seemed to noticed and she silently took a hold of one of my shirts and began to fold it. "You don't need to do anything." I said.

"I do." She said quietly. "I would like to do something for you, you've been so kind to me." The only thing Madge had said so far, was thank you.

"There's nothing you need to do, Madge. You are my friend; it takes no effort to take care of a friend." She gave me the saddest smile I had ever seen, but I didn't care. At least she was talking. I saw the darkness that took over her, her hands stopped over the shirt she was folding.

"I don't feel like I can live, Katniss. Nor do I want to." She said, her eyes full of tears. I dropped what I was doing and went to seat in front of her.

"Madge, don't say that." I grabbed her hand slowly, surprisingly she took my hand in both of hers.

"I mean it." She said in a broken whisper. "He took something from me, that night." Her hands shook a little. "Everything that was good about me, he took." She sobbed. I became more and more uncomfortable, because deep in my heart I knew there was nothing to say or do to fix this. But Peeta did, and I remember what he said when I'd been sad.

"Madge he didn't take anything, you are as good as you were before it happened. He's the one who lost something, and trust me Madge what he did doesn't come without punishment." She shook her head, letting a tear escape her.

"I don't want revenge, I know it would not do anything to make me feel better. I just wish I didn't have to live this life. I wish there was no reaping and that I could be left alone. I wish I'd never met him." She started crying harder so I hugged her. I didn't know what else to do. But I would take a crying Madge over an absent one any day of the week. "I just don't know what happens next." I knew that feeling so well that her words gave me goose bumps.

"You survive." It wasn't pretty or a desirable alternative.

"Is that all there is?" I was going to say yes. Immediately. But something stopped me. It seemed dishonest now.

"No. There's more than that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've seen it." I did my best to explain to Madge how Peeta had explained. But instead of thinking about me and Prim, I thought about my parents. And I told her about them. She made no effort to agree or disagree with me, she just listened. At the end of my speech, she took a deep breath and left to her room. I guess it had been all she'd managed to take.

When I walked by her room I saw her looking at Peeta's notebook again, a new one he'd given her that I hadn't really looked at. She looked at the pages like she was seeing something unbelievable. Whatever she saw in them, she felt comforted. I thought about how much comfort the book my father's plant book had made and I hoped with all my heart that she would be as comforted as I'd been with Peeta's drawings.

* * *

**Peeta**

It was already Thursday and my mother hadn't come back. When I asked my father about it he assured me it wasn't strange for her to do that.

"She'll come around." He repeated whenever I asked. I only knew that I missed having Katniss around, but I was glad that she was making the most of her time. I'd already gotten her used to my baker hours, so on Monday when I woke up she was wide awake and after staying in bed looking bored, she announced she would go hunting. I was really glad something good would come out of my mother's absence. I was worried about her going to the woods, but I knew it was silly, she was really good at not being seen. She'd walked with me until we reached the bakery, we'd been joking and with a smile she said goodbye with a kiss. I felt the loss of her presence more vividly than ever. I wanted to follow her.

She'd been so different in the past few days, so open. If I had ever thought I couldn't like Katniss anymore, I'd been sorely mistaken. She'd been so wonderfully relaxed lately, I was getting to know her all over again. And I wanted more of that, always. For once the bakery feel constricting, there was somewhere else I wanted to be. I got to work to make time go by faster.

I was not surprised to find another three orders from the mayor. He'd been ordering anything he could think of lately, no doubt to pay us back in some way. I didn't want his money, I wanted him to fix things. I'd have to deliver the cakes myself in the afternoon, without Katniss and with just my father in the front I'd have to do a lot more work. I got to it, it was going to be a long day.

* * *

The mayor's house was the largest the District. I came through the service door with a cake in hand, the sun was setting and the streets were full of people heading back home. To my surprise, Madge's mother answered the door, and not a maid was to be seen in the large kitchen.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Undersee." I said and she gestured me to get in. The kitchen was larger than the bakery's. The ovens were something I couldn't stop myself from ogling.

"Hello, Peeta." She always looked tired. She was skinnier than before, if that was possible. She was wearing an impeccable looking dress and a simple necklace that my mother would die to own. Mrs. Undersee had never looked well, I'd heard rumors about her being fatally ill, but years had passed and she was still alive. I only knew for sure she lived with some sort of chronic pain which made her look older than she really was. Her voice was quiet, like somebody might overhear. "How is my daughter?"

"She is much better, the bruises are almost completely gone. Although she doesn't feel quite ready to face others, she mostly speaks to my wife." She clasped her hands nervously in front of her.

"I was told to inform you that my husband has made the necessary arrangements, we will like to have Madge home by tomorrow evening. I will send someone of trust to retrieve her from you tomorrow night if that is all right with you?" I was relieved, Madge would be safe.

"That sounds good, Madge will like to be home." She nodded but didn't seem glad at all. She pinched the bridge of her nose, she seemed to have a headache. I got the hint. "Goodbye." I said, and headed towards the door. She didn't say anything as soon as I was out of the way she closed the door behind me.

* * *

**Yes, I had to go with Finnick. You see, for me Finnick and Annie were one of the most tragic couples in the Hunger Games trilogy and I couldn't bear to write them apart. As far as how is it possible for them to be together, you'll see. ;)**

**Please if you have a moment, leave a review. Tell me what you thought or what you hope will happen or anything at all! Your reviews are deeply appreciated. **

**-M**


	15. Broken

**A thousand apologies for the delay again, exams got in the way and for some reason it was pretty difficult to write this one out. I've been so busy I haven't even seen Mockingjay Pt. 2 (yes, I'm that busy). Hope you enjoy!**

**-M**

* * *

**1\. Peeta**

When we told Madge that her mother was coming to get her, it was difficult to gauge her reaction. She simply nodded and returned to wherever she went when she was silent. I went away and Katniss asked her if she wanted to take anything with her, she shook her head. Katniss convinced her to take one of the dresses she had lent her, the one she'd worn for the majority of her time here. I picked out some of the drawings I had caught her admiring the most and folded them so she could take them home.

Her mother kept her promise and at night, we heart a soft knock in the back door. I had seen Madge's brother before, but only briefly. He was a tall blond man with brown eyes that at the moment were filled with sorrow. I opened the door and let him in the kitchen. There was no time to lose if we wanted to be discrete, so Madge and Katniss were already coming down the stairs, Katniss' arm around her as they made their way down.

"Hello, I'm Adam." He told me in a low voice and offered me his hand to shake "Is she ready?"

"Yes, please come in." He walked into the living room and remained quiet. He had his sister's ability to be aloof, even when it was obvious he was experiencing a lot of different emotions. He was clasping his hands nervously in front of him, something I'd seen his mother do. As soon as Madge reached the living room he rushed over her, and held her in a tight hug. I was about to tell him he should move slowly or he might startle her, but Madge only flinched slightly before wrapping her arms over her brother's waist. Katniss walked towards me, I could feel the tension that emanated from her clearly. I rested my hand on her lower back, she kept her eyes on Madge and her brother.

"That son of a bitch," her brother's whisper was clearly just for her so we didn't say anything. In contrast with her parent's reaction, it seemed to me that the only appropriate one had been Adam's. They held each other for a moment before he put a steady arm around her waist and kissed her temple. "I must apologize to both of you; my parents didn't inform me of what happened until yesterday evening. Had I known, I would've offered to take her with me." He was livid. And I was glad that he was the one taking Madge. His anger was far more comforting than his parent's resignation.

"She was safe with us. Just keep her away from him." Katniss said to him and he nodded.

"I promise, Katniss." I was relieved but Katniss expression didn't change.

"I'll get you home." He whispered to his sister and Madge, who had shed a couple of silent tears, nodded.

"I can never thank you enough for what you did for her." He said gravely and looked at Katniss and then at me. "But I will never forget it." Katniss didn't seem impressed by his raw gratitude.

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again." She said coldly. He nodded and walked up to me to shake my hand once more. Katniss surprised me by walking up to Madge and pulling her into a tight hug. She whispered something to her I wasn't able to hear and then let go. Katniss went to say something to Adam and I went over to Madge and instead of forcing her into a hug, I gave her the folded drawings.

"For you." She looked at the papers and knew exactly what they were. She looked surprised, and even gave me a small fatigued smile. She put her hand over mine and patted it.

"Thank you, Peeta." She said without meeting my eyes.

"You are more than welcome, Madge. You can come by whenever you want." She nodded and after another thank you from her brother, they left.

The house seemed only quiet once they were gone. I locked the door behind them and when I returned to the dining room, Katniss was there, arms crossed over her chest as if she needed the pressure to keep herself in one piece. I walked up to her without a word and slid my hands around her waist, pressing her to my chest. She fell easily into the embrace, resting her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms around me. We stayed there in the most comfortable of silences and then she sighed.

"Something isn't right." She murmured.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure." She said, clearly frustrated. Then I thought about Madge's mother's expression and I thought I knew what she meant. I didn't say everything would be all right, because I honestly had no idea. For now, we would just have to wait.

We walked up the stairs and I realized that my excuse for sleeping with Katniss was gone. I sighed and went up to her room to get my things. She had gone to remove the sheets from Madge's bed and we ran into each other in the hallway.

"What are you doing?" Katniss asked, she clearly hadn't thought about our sleeping arrangements.

"Going to my room." Realization hit her, and she looked disappointed.

"Ok," she said and went downstairs to put the linens away to wash later. When she returned she stood by my bedroom's door and leaned on the door frame.

"Why don't you stay?" I gave her an incredulous look. She blushed a little and continued to explained in a flustered way. "I just… I think it would be better if you stay in my room," she looked so anxious, I wanted to kiss her really bad. "I just…. It's easier for when the peacekeepers come and it will be less of a hassle," I listened to her very logical reasons with amusement. "And, I just think it would be better." I smiled at her.

"Ok." I said. She looked satisfied but embarrassed enough that she turned around and walked away. I heard the bathroom door closing and I changed quickly. I was in bed by the time she came out running her fingers through her braid. I loved watching her braiding it loosely before bed. It was an important part of my night now. I leaned on my side and watched her unabashedly. When she lay down beside me her embarrassment had gone.

"What?" She said when she noticed I was staring.

"Nothing." I smiled. "I think I prefer sleeping here. I'm used to it now." Katniss gave me a small smile and she moved towards me. I knew what to do because I've been doing it so often. I shifted and she took the spot between my arm and me. Her head was on my shoulder.

"Me too." She said with a sleepy voice. Her eyes were closing. For a moment I was shocked at how far we'd come along and I felt so hopeful. I cupped her face with my free arm and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, beautiful." I whispered and wondered if she had heard me. I smiled because I knew that even if she did, she probably wouldn't mind.

* * *

**2.**

My father decided it was time to face my mother, whether she liked it or not. So on Saturday I asked Katniss to join me at the bakery so she could help me while my father went to talk to mother. Katniss looked so glad to be back that I let myself believe that it had something to do with me.

My dad had helped me bake before leaving so it was easier to manage on my own, Katniss' job was to see to the costumers. Whenever it got slightly busier I would go to the shop, in case she needed help. I could never resist a moment with her, so I decided she needed my constant assistance. We sneaked in brief conversations between costumers.

"I'm so glad to have you back." I said after three regulars had left the shop. Talking to them had given me plenty of excuses to compliment Katniss, which was why she was now blushing and looking annoyed. She smiled when I said that but she avoided meeting my eyes. I wondered if I'd taken it too far.

"I'm glad to be here, Peeta. But I told you, I can handle the work. You'll burn something if you keep sneaking in here for my benefit." I smiled mischievously and stepped closer to her while putting my arm around her waist to pull her into my side.

"Who said anything about _your_ benefit?" I asked her playfully and kissed her cheek, she gave me an incredulous look.

"What is up with you today?" She said pushing me away, but since she did so playfully I knew she wasn't really offended.

"I'm just happy. The bakery is not fun unless you're here." I felt like I'd been so reckless with my emotions lately. I felt more in love than ever, it had to be obvious to everyone. Everyone except Katniss, of course. Her expression changed when I said that her playfulness was momentarily gone.

"I like being here, too. I can't believe I'm saying this…." She frowned like she was trying to figure out a very difficult puzzle "but when I was out hunting all week I felt kind of lonely." Had she said this a month ago I would've figured she missed Gale. I knew better now. "Maybe it's because I haven't been alone in weeks. You should come to the woods with me sometime. It's so nice there." She frowned as soon as she said that, and I knew why. She felt like she'd shared too much and now she was too vulnerable. She seemed mad at herself. I needed to even things out.

"I'd love to go with you." It was partly a lie because it sounded terrifying. But she was letting me in and I'd be an idiot to say no to going to the place she loved most. She smiled, looking more beautiful than I could remember. Her eyes were full of excitement, and that was not something you often saw in Katniss Everdeen's eyes. Unable to resist, I leaned in to kiss her. She didn't even flinch, she just kissed me back. I surrounded her with my arms and she pressed herself against me. I felt her curves snugly pressed against my body, she was moving even closer. My kiss got slightly rougher but she didn't complain at all. It was like that time at the alley, something else was taking over. I needed to snap out of it since anyone could come in and see us making out in the middle of the bakery, but it was insanely difficult. I pulled back to regain some sense and leaned my forehead on hers with my eyes still closed. I almost lose it again when I heard how out of breath she was.

"Why does it feel so good to kiss you?" I had no idea what prompted her to ask this. I opened my eyes and found that she was looking at me. A mix of wonder and fear in her eyes. I had not a clue as to what I'd done to deserve this kind of honesty from her but I was happy. So happy that I cupped her face and kissed her lips one more time before breaking into a smile. I could be honest and tell her how I felt right now, but something inside me made it clear that it would be a bad idea. Katniss was starting to be more open to all of this, and if I rushed her I just knew I would get shut out.

"Maybe it's because I'm a really good kisser." My smug tone worked exactly like predicted and Katniss' wonder turned into a glare so quickly that I had to laugh. She dropped her arms from around me so she could push me away. She was annoyed, but she was also smiling.

"Get back to work, Mellark." She ordered angrily.

* * *

My dad returned a bit after that. He looked exhausted and it was not surprising since my mother had a knack for draining the life out of him.

"How did it go?" I asked, while I kneaded the dough carefully. His expression didn't make me feel optimistic.

"Not great." He sighed heavily. "She refused to see me at first. Then when she did come to speak to me the only thing she said was that I had to leave." He washed his hands so he didn't have to meet my eyes and see the expression there. It was an old habit, when you worked with food you washed your hands a hundred times a day.

"Why?"

"Her sister was there and she didn't want her to overhear." Which I knew meant she didn't want her to hear all the yelling.

"It's not like she didn't complain already. I'm confident she already told her in detail how horrible we are." He didn't seem to have the slightest inclination to argue.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. We'll be alone and if it goes well she could be back here by Monday." Which meant tomorrow would be the last day Katniss would be here, at least until things calmed down.

"Tomorrow? But we're getting the supplies in the morning." We needed at the very least two people to do that job.

"That's what I said, but she refused to listen. Peeta at this point I think it would be best if we do as she says. You said you were getting help anyway; you can send Katniss and the boy you hired to get the supplies. I'll try to be quick, and when I get back you can catch up with them."

"What about the shop?"

"It will be like today I'll help you bake in the morning and when Katniss and the boy leave you can just be at the shop. I doubt my conversation with your mother will take more than a couple of hours, we have enough bread to get by." It sounded like a total mess. Dad seemed so worn out I thought it unwise to say something.

"Sure dad." I said and he gave me a fatigued smile. He went upstairs to change before he returned to the shop.

Moments later, Katniss walked into the kitchen looking deeply annoyed. I was about to ask what was wrong but following right behind her was Finnick smiling widely and holding a bouquet of wild flowers.

"He says he's here to see you." The contrast between Katniss' and Finnick's expression was comical.

"Thanks, love." Finnick told her. He was standing way too close to Katniss and when she looked at him he winked. Katniss gave a step back and looked at him like he was crazy. Finnick was clearly flirting with her, but I couldn't be mad because she looked so disgusted that it was funny to watch. Katniss left the kitchen and Finnick smiled at her the whole while. When she was gone he turned to me with a friendly smile, all teasing was gone from his eyes.

"Hi, Finnick." I said with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"My wife sent you these." He said cheerily. "As a thank you for the bread." He put the flowers next to the sink and I smiled. They were clearly wild flowers but she had a good eye, the flowers hadn't just been thrown together, their arrangement seemed deliberate and their colors complimented each other.

"It's beautiful, thank you. She really didn't have to." Finnick ignored my concerns.

"She was so happy about what you did for us, she wondered about how to thank you all week. I just came to drop them off."

"Have you had any luck finding more work?" Finnick shrugged.

"Here and there, but not really. Someone suggested the mines, but I don't know if I can do it. It's hard enough to be away from the ocean, but to be completely locked up… " I really wished I could give him more than temporary employment. He seemed kind.

"It's a hard life. I think you're right about looking for something else." Then a sudden rush of inspiration hit me. "Is there any chance your wife is free tomorrow?" He immediately looked hopeful.

"I believe so. Is there anything you need?"

"My father will be out and I will be alone in the shop. Do you think she'll be able to come for a couple of hours in the afternoon to help me? It won't be that complicated and she will also get paid." Finnick smiled widely.

"Yes, of course." I was relieved. It was not going to be a lot of money, but at this point I thought they would appreciate it.

"Then I'll see you guys tomorrow." Finnick looked so happy with so little.

"I'll tell her right now. She'll probably have me gathering flowers for the rest of the afternoon." He wasn't complaining, he seemed endeared by his wife. I decided I liked Finnick. We shook hands and he left. Katniss came into the kitchen soon after and I told her about what my dad said. Then I informed her she would have to go get the supplies with Annie's husband.

"_That's_ Annie's husband?" I nodded as I took more flour out of the container we had, we were almost out. It was a good thing we were getting supplies tomorrow.

"Yeah. He doesn't really blend in." I answered. Katniss frowned.

"No, he doesn't. And he's annoying." She complained and I laughed. "I didn't picture him like that. Annie seems so sweet and quiet in comparison." I shrugged.

"It sounds like they care about each other." That was something to say, considering almost nobody in Panem married for love. "She sent us flowers."

Katniss smiled at them and I explained what would happen the next day.

"See, she's too nice. Do you think he tricked her into marrying him?" I laughed at her suggestion.

"No way, they _could_ just be in love." She rolled her eyes at me. "It happens, you know?" And she rolled them again.

"Great, and now I'm spending the day with him tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

"No, it's ok. Besides, you already know what to do. And they need a Mellark to sign off on the packages. My dad won't take long and when he's back I'll help you do inventory so you don't have to do it all by yourself."

"And who will be with the costumers?"

"Finnick said Annie would do it." She looked at me for a moment, then she looked down with a loving smile.

"You're really nice to help them out."

"I wish they could work here full time." I said and she nodded. We both knew my mother would never let that happen. She would be so mad if I hired anyone, but if she knew they weren't from 12 she would throw another fit and probably stay with her sister for a month.

"Me too, at least Annie. Finnick would drive me nuts." I laughed remembering her face.

"I like him, he seems nice." Katniss gave me a monumental eye roll and left before I had time to defend Finnick some more. Then costumers came in and she was gone. I realized how much I didn't want to work here anymore unless I could get this moments with her.

* * *

**3\. **

Sunday started exactly as planned. Katniss and I woke up and got ready. We walked to work; Katniss had been in such a good mood I'd barely stopped myself from teasing her. And when we got to the Bakery Finnick was waiting for us by the back of the shop.

"Hey, Finnick." I said with a smile. It was always nice to see people who were eager to work. He smiled at me and when he looked at Katniss his expression turned mischievous. I wondered how long before Finnick learned that it wasn't a good idea to mess with Katniss.

"Good morning, Mellarks." Katniss glared at him and he winked at her.

"Nice to see you're here already. Come on in, we can have breakfast before you go." I told him and we walked ahead of him into the shop. My dad came downstairs while I was making the food and Katniss made tea. I invited Finnick to sit so he grabbed a stool and sat by the counter. He got up when my dad came in.

"Good morning, kids." My dad said before he noticed Finnick. "You must be the young man who will help us." He stretched out a hand in a friendly manner. "I'm Milles."

"I'm Finnick Odair, Mr. Mellark, It's a pleasure to meet you." His tone was formal but in a very charming way. My dad smiled like he was surprised to be treated with such cordiality.

"No, no. Call me Milles. Would you like a cup of my special tea?" He was always so excited to offer it to newcomers. Katniss brought over the tea already made and he smiled.

"If you go on like this, dear, I'll have nothing to do soon. I could've made it myself." Katniss smiled widely at him. I loved seeing how much she cared about him.

"It's all done, Milles. Now you can sit and relax." My dad took her hand and patted it lovingly.

"It's always nice to have you around." He'd missed her too, and that fact made me so happy. "Now boy," he told Finnick "You must tell me all about what you used to do back at your home District. It isn't every day we get to hear about what life is like elsewhere." Finnick didn't seem to mind the attention. Once we sat down to eat he began his tale, and there was no doubt that he enjoyed having all eyes on him. He spoke with such ease about his old home that we were enraptured by his tale during our meal. Even Katniss perked up when he talked about his fishing techniques. It seemed that he was as comfortable with a trident as Katniss was with her bow. Not that she mentioned that.

After eating, my dad opened the shop and I explained today's itinerary again to Katniss and Finnick while I baked. Katniss had come with me once but I'd dealt with most of it. Now I could refresh her memory and tell Finnick what he needed to do. They were to go to Thom's house to get a cart, and then get to the train station to get all the deliveries from the trains which took forever since it was usually necessary to go up and down the station several times in search for everything we had asked for. After going over the packages to see that they had delivered the correct amounts, etc. There was a small check list to fill out and finally they'd have to transport everything back home where we made a more detailed inventory.

"I think you should be fine. If you need help to load the cart there are always people around the station looking for a job. I'll send you extra coins that you can pay them." I explained and went to the room where my mother kept the ledger and the metal box we used as a safe for all of the bakery's money. I took out the necessary amount for them to pay and then locked it again. I gave Katniss the pouch she would use for deliveries with all the money inside it. When I returned Katniss was glaring at Finnick again from one end to the room and Finnick was smiling at her arrogantly.

"Here," I told Katniss who took the pouch. It was time for them to go.

"Annie will be here at noon." Said Finnick and I smiled.

"Thank you so much for helping." I told them.

"Thank you for giving us a shot." Smiled Finnick and went out through the back. Katniss followed him but I stopped her before she could leave.

"Everything ok?"

"I don't promise not to kill him." I really liked her melodramatic tendencies.

"You'll be fine." She looked like she was going to be reaped. So I couldn't resist and I ran my fingers down her ribs were she was most ticklish. I knew this because I'd accidentally tickled her one morning and I had gleefully saved that precious information for later. She looked nervous right away and she laughed, but her eyes were menacing.

"Don't you dare, Mellark!" She warned with a smile. I moved to kiss her but she moved out of my grasp in retaliation. She was so fast. She went around me and elbowed my side playfully, but I managed to grab her by the waist and I kissed her neck, which was also ticklish. She laughed harder. "Ok, can I go now?"

"No," I said and then I kissed her. She smiled against my lips. "No you can go." I said and put on an innocent expression. I could not believe for the life of me that I'd gotten away with all of that and she hand't punched me at the very least.

"You're crazy." she mumbled and left the kitchen. I always thought I was as in love with her as I would ever be. I was always wrong.

* * *

**Katniss **

People were openly stared when Finnick and I went down the street. They weren't staring at me, of course, it was all his fault. He was just so, _handsome._ He looked extremely out of place in our shabby district. When we went to Thom's house and he saw him he looked immediately distrustful, and I didn't blame him. Finnick was tall and very muscular. With bronzed skin and bright green eyes he was clearly not from around. He was also an incorrigible flirt I couldn't understand how Annie could live with him. He was so annoying.

"Hey, beautiful." He said with a smile when he returned with a package we'd been looking for the past half an hour. Peeta had made it look so easy but getting the cart had been the only simple thing. Everything else had been arguing with people at the train station, constantly being on the lookout for pick pockets and people staring at Finnick.

"Where the hell was that?"

"The other side of the station. Some lady took it by accident. But she was more than glad to return it to his rightful owner after a brief conversation." He said with a cheeky smile and he sat next to the rest of the packages.

"She shouldn't have taken it in the first place." I said as I marked an X next to the name of the supply. "Nobody is being very helpful today."

"Maybe if you tried being more pleasant people would be more interested in helping you." I rolled my eyes at him and he smirked.

"I'm pleasant." He snorted.

"Sure you are."

"Then you do it." I said and Finnick winked before he went to talk to the suppliers. Little by little, the cart began to fill. While Finnick charmed those around us I reviewed every package and its contents and kept a watchful eye on the cart. I hate it to admit it, but like Peeta, Finnick had a way with people but unlike Peeta, Finnick was a smug annoying bastard. I didn't get how everyone didn't see how true that was. Once he had gotten everything he walked back to the cart and smiled at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Shut up and help me with these sacks of flour." He laughed and helped me without another word.

* * *

**Peeta**

There was a gentle rapping on the door and since it was noon I knew it had to be Annie. I opened the door and I knew what Katniss had been talking about right away. Annie seemed really nice and sweet but incredibly shy, too.

"Hi," She said with a smile that I could see was difficult for her to manage.

"Hi, Annie, I'm Peeta. Thank you for the beautiful flowers you sent us." Annie smiled more naturally and walked in. I explained to her what I needed and offered her some tea and stale biscuits. I liked her right away. We eased into a pleasant conversation and we were discussing some questions she had when my dad walked in.

"I'm off son." He said and then he smiled at Annie and introduced himself. "I should be back in an hour or two." He added and after saying his goodbyes he left.

"Ready to get to work, Annie?" I asked her with a smile, she already looked a lot more comfortable than when she'd walked in.

"Ready." We went to the front of the shop.

* * *

**Katniss**

It was almost one when we began making our way back. We had taken longer than I'd expected and now the square was full of people which made it impossible to move the cart at a decent pace. There was always someone in the way, or other carts, or even a forgotten mule once. I was at the end of my patience, Finnick on the other hand, seemed completely content to be walking one step every five minutes. He never shut up, and after arguing about three different things he asked me about different ways to get around. I was glad to talk about something we couldn't argue about. Finnick seemed interested in learning about more paths to get around town. So for once he shut up and listened and that was enough to improve my mood.

"If go you down there," I pointed to a smaller path behind the butcher shop. "There are very little chances that you'll run into anyone so it's good to take when you're in a hurry, it takes you straight to the Bakery." We had taken a whole five steps without stopping but someone had left a tower of empty wooden crates in the middle of the way and we had to walk around it.

"I guess that works especially well when you don't have to carry a five hundred pound cart." He mumbled. He had been joking about how heavy it was but he seemed to be pretty strong. He barely flinched when we'd began to make our way back. Thom had no mules to pull his carts so it was our job to pull it behind us. Peeta made it look like it was no big deal, but there was no way I could move it on my own.

"Yeah, we're stuck here." I complained and he smiled. Everyone in District 12 seemed to be out in the streets. He put the cart down and sat leaned on it as we watched some people slowly moving away to clear out the way. He'd apparently given up on any hope of moving any faster. He patted the space next to him.

"Come join me, Katniss. If it's going to take forever we might as well enjoy the scenery." The man had a point, but I glared at him and took a different seat from the one he'd suggested. He chuckled at that. "You're quite stubborn aren't you?"

"And you're pushy, aren't you?" He wasn't horrible like Ilke, but I still didn't trust him.

"It's fun to see you annoyed. Although you are far more civil than I'd expected, I thought you'd get a shot at me by now. I suspect your husband advised you against harming me." I rolled my eyes at him.

"He might have, but he's not here." I said with a glare and he laughed loud enough to earn us a couple of glances. Women just stared at him in awe, I had no doubt he was well aware of that and he used it in his favor.

"Fair enough." I was looking at him smiling like an idiot, so I saw when his expression changed.

"Finnick!" I recognized Annie's voice, and Finnick's serious expression took me by surprise. He looked alert and fierce all of a sudden. We looked around frantically searching for Annie.

"Annie!" He screamed back. Many looked at us, but they continued with whatever they were doing. I didn't care about them; all I could care about what was happening with Annie_. _Annie finally found Finnick in the middle of the crowd and then she ran towards us. Finnick put his arms towards her and she held him back but she looked at me.

"Katniss, Peeta is hurt!" My whole body tensed. I noticed her tears then, she was out of breath and her hair was a mess. How long had she been running? How long had Peeta been hurt?

"What happened?" I yelled back, Annie seemed confused and out of it. I didn't understand why, but Finnick didn't pay attention to me, he cupped Annie's face in his hands and looked straight into her eyes. She looked straight at him and her body seemed to relax. Finnick spoke with a very soothing tone.

"Annie, where is Peeta?" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, releasing more tears that rolled down her cheeks.

"He's at the bakery, but he's hurt. He fell, or someone hurt him I don't know. I found him in the storage room and he was screaming. He told me to get help." When she finished saying this she started to shake and Finnick wrapped her arms around her and Annie leaned her head on his shoulder. He whispered something into her ear, but I wasn't listening anymore. I looked around me. The cart was stuck in the middle of town. It was full of supplies that I needed to get to the bakery since it was our whole livelihood. I should have stayed to make sure they made their way back to the Bakery. But I didn't. One look at Finnick was enough.

"I'll get everything to the bakery. Go!" I didn't say anything else, I ran as fast as I could because Peeta's life depended on it.

I took the roads I knew so well to avoid everyone and everything. I kept focused on my breathing and the sound of my heartbeat that seemed to me was the only thing I could really hear. He had to be ok. My desire was fierce, stronger than I'd ever known before. And even though my legs began to burn I still ran, I ran until I saw the bakery. The front door was closed so I ran to the back.

I heard Milles yelling for help. The storage room was open and I could hear Milles screaming out from inside. I stood by the door and looked down. Milles as kneeling next to Peeta who was lying still on the ground unconscious. His foot was twisted at an odd angle and there was blood staining his clothes. He looked so pale my heart stopped.

"Peeta!" I regained my speech.

"Katniss! Get help! Peeta fell off the stairs!" I knew he'd said that but I couldn't listen anymore. I went to Peeta. Upon a closer look I noticed the gash on the side of his thigh. It was barely visible because of the blood but it was obvious there was something there, a piece of the banister probably. But it had penetrated so deep into his leg that I could see his bone. He'd lost so much blood already. I knelt beside him and took his hand. Milles screamed more things at me but I couldn't hear him. My hands were shaking, but I pressed a finger to his neck, looking for a pulse like my mother had taught us. It took a moment, but it was there. I gave a shaky smile.

"Goodman it, kid." I heard Haymitch's curse. I didn't look up but Milles did.

"We need help! Please! Get someone!" Haymitch disappeared. "Stay with him," mumbled Milles. And he left, too.

"Peeta, please. Stay with me." I ran my fingers through his hair. I kissed his forehead gently and his temple. "Please, Peeta. You have to be ok. I need you to be ok." I said over and over again in between kisses. When I saw his temple was wet I realize I'd been crying. "Peeta, please, stay."

* * *

**Ok I'm not a horrible person. I'm posting the next chapter in a couple of hours. Yes, you're getting two chapters today! **

**Please tell me what you think! I love it, it keeps me motivated and mostly I find out if I'm totally screwing this up. **

**-M**


	16. Awake

**As promised... a 2nd chapter. :)**

* * *

**1\. Katniss**

It felt like hours before I heard my mother's voice. She wasn't upstairs, she was beside me and she was trying to pry my fingers away from Peeta's shirt. I felt someone touching my head and I knew it was Prim although I didn't turn to look at her.

"Katniss, you need to let him go." I only got closer to him when she said this.

"I promise he'll be fine but you need to let me and mom work."

"Please, Moira, help my boy." Peeta's father cried out. Haymitch was there again and he took me by the shoulders and pulled me away from Peeta. He tightened his grasp around me as they worked on him.

"His ankle is broken, I'm going to have to set it into place." My mom said this while Prim worked on the wound. They prodded and looked and soon Peeta started groaning.

"You're hurting him!" I yelled but Haymitch stopped me.

"No, It's his leg. I'm going to help him sleep so we can work. I'll stabilize it and then we'll bring him up the stairs." My mom sounded confident and clear on what was needed. "Katniss, I need you to go upstairs and clear the dining room table so we can operate there. Milles I'm going to need boiled water and towels." Peeta's father was crying but he heard every word she said, he moved to do as he was told. I didn't move.

"Sweetie, go. I promise you he will be ok." I only went up the stairs because I believed her. Haymitch was right beside me. As soon as I was away from Peeta my head cleared. I began clearing the table and Haymitch silently helped me. Milles went upstairs and brought sheets, blankets and towels. Then he went into the kitchen to boil the water. My mother came out of the storage room moments later.

"I'm going to need help getting him up here." She told Haymitch and Milles. They went to get him and Prim came out, her arms still stained with Peeta's blood and stopped me from going downstairs. I busied myself with making the table as comfortable as possible. It felt like forever when they finally came out of the kitchen with Peeta carefully between them. They set him on the table and I put a rolled up blanket under his head so he would be comfortable. I brushed his hair back and kissed his forehead. "You'll be ok, Peeta." I told him.

Milles and Haymitch closed the door of the dining room to give him some privacy. Then they began bringing pots with boiling water. I couldn't move away from him though, my legs weren't responding at present. I saw how Prim and my mother took scissors out and how they cut off his clothes. I was never comfortable around nudity or wounded people so I kept my eyes on Peeta's face until they put a blanket over most of his body. They left his leg uncovered. I saw Prim dabbing at his wound with a towel she had dipped into the boiled water.

"Katniss, he might wake up while we're working since they pain will intense. I need you to go outside and stay there." She told me clearly, but I shook my head.

"I want to stay with him." My mom put a hand on my back.

"Please, sweetie. We'll take care of him. You can be with him once we're done." Milles intervened this time, he took me by the waist and pulled me away from Peeta.

"Come on, dear." He said, the tracks of his tears still fresh on his face. His arm encircled my shoulders and I let him lead me to the kitchen. Haymitch followed us and soon enough I could hear Peeta screaming. My hands were shaking but I couldn't cry anymore. He complained and yelled out, they always did when my mother had to reset bones but it never hurt before as much as Peeta's screams hurt. I sat on the back steps of the bakery and focused as hard as I could on anything but Peeta. Something that was easier said than done.

Then dread overtook me. I'd left two complete strangers with our supplies. They were hungry and in need, they had already sold everything for all I knew. I didn't tell Milles, because I didn't want him to be worried, but it was really unlikely that they wouldn't steal something. He sat next to me on the step and held me while we both cried silently.

"He will be ok. I promise." He whispered.

After a long while, Peeta went quiet. And moments later Haymitch came out of the kitchen announcing it was ok for us to walk in. I wasn't really clear on how Haymitch had appeared here in the first place. What the hell was he doing here? I went straight to the dining room and saw that Peeta was still unconscious. He was asleep. There were beads of sweat on his brow and he looked pale, but he was breathing regularly. I tried not to look at the tray where they had put the string and the needle that they used to stitch his wound closed. I also didn't look at the wound on his leg.

"His foot is broken and the wound on his leg was really deep but it wasn't infected. He hit all of his right side pretty bad but he didn't break anything else." Prim told me, knowing she was the only one I would listen to. "He'll be fine with time and rest, Katniss." I hugged her before returning to Peeta's side. I got a chair and sat beside him. I kissed his temple and rested my forehead on the side of his head, barely listening when they all left the room and went to the shop to talk.

Milles asked a lot of questions, but then he was quiet with my mother's calm and quick responses. Peeta's breath hitched so I put my hand on his bare chest and rubbed it gently up and down until he relaxed. I kissed his shoulder and he calmed down again.

* * *

Everyone started asking questions now. And Milles was the one answering most of them. I could barely hear what they were saying, I was focused on Peeta's breathing.

"No…. he was alone and awake when I came back. Annie had already gone to get help. He was ok for a while and then he passed out..." Said Milles. Someone asked something else, it was probably Haymitch but I couldn't hear what. I only heard the response. "No, I was out to see my wife. She's been staying at her sister's…" nobody asked why "but she wasn't there and her sister made me wait but Eudora never came."

"Maybe he fell." Said Prim hopefully.

"Is Peeta ok?" When I heard Finnick's voice I sighed with relief. He'd made it back, I assumed that he'd brought back the supplies, otherwise why would he be here? I had never been so glad to be wrong about someone before.

"Yes, son. He's ok." I heard them walk away, probably to the back to see to the supplies. Prim walked in while my mother talked to Haymitch.

"I told you he would be fine." She said with a smile as she stood on my side. I let go of Peeta for a second and hugged her.

"Thanks, little duck." I returned to Peeta and grabbed his hand. Feeling better about Peeta's condition, I felt calm enough to go find out what had happened to him. Annie had been the only one at the shop at the moment, so she had to know. "Stay with him, ok? I need to talk to Annie."

My mother was at the kitchen cleaning up everything she'd used to clean up Peeta's wounds. Haymitch was standing on the side of the kitchen looking nowhere in particular, but seeming concerned.

"Why are you here?" I asked him, realizing only until my mom glared at me that it sounded pretty rude.

"Katniss! Be nicer! He was the one who got me and Prim." I felt ashamed but his glare at me was so common I didn't mind.

"Thanks, but how did you know to get them?"

"I saw that girl, Annie, running in front of my house. It took me a moment to realize she'd come from the bakery." And I was so thankful than he'd look into it enough to figure out what had happened.

"Thank you." I said, and then I went to the back. Finnick and Milles were unloading the cart. Annie was sitting on an empty side of the cart. She was sad and she was twirling a small flower in her fingers. I walked up to her and when she saw me she seemed startled, like she was expecting me to be angry at her. Finnick stopped what he was doing to watch us. I realized now he was more than ready to jump towards me if I had any intention of being mean to her.

"Thank you so much for getting me, Annie." I said truthfully and she looked deeply relieved. Finnick continued moving the supplies around.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened; I didn't know what to do."She said apologetically. I shook my head.

"It's not your fault. If Peeta had been alone it would've been a long time before we found him. Thank you. And thank you for bringing the supplies back safely." I said this in Finnick's direction, too. He gave me a genuine smile.

"It was our job." I knew how people were. At least most of the time. I knew what it was like to be afraid to not have something to eat. I wouldn't have blamed them if they'd taken something. But they didn't. For that I was grateful.

"Annie, was there anything you saw? Or did Peeta really just fell?" She looked like she wanted to cry again, and she twirled the flower faster between her thumb and index finger. She answered with a shaky voice.

"No. I didn't see anything, but there _was_ someone with Peeta." By this point Milles was paying attention. Finnick went to her side and grabbed her hand. It was impressive how much he managed to make her relax. "I was in the shop and there were some costumers, and then I heard Peeta say something so I thought he was talking to me. But when he went on I realized he had to be talking to someone else." Tears welled up in her eyes "Then I heard something really loud and I ran to the back and Peeta was at the bottom of the stairs and he was hurt. I went to him and then I heard the door upstairs slamming. I don't know which door. Then he told me to get help and I got you." There had been someone. I knew it. My back tightened and I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I had a pretty good idea who it had been.

Milles looked sad but he didn't seem to connect the dots. I didn't say anything; I just patted Annie's hand.

"Thank you Annie. Thank you so much for helping us." Annie smiled at me shakily and Finnick kissed her cheek and smile at her too.

"You did so good." He whispered to her as I turned around to return to Peeta. When he woke up he would tell us. In the meantime I would leave it alone.

* * *

Haymitch eventually left, and so did my mother. Prim stayed behind when I begged her to, I didn't want Peeta to wake in the middle of the night and be in pain. She gladly agreed to, once my mother said it was ok as long as she went to school the following day.

Milles and Finnick put everything away. Milles was grateful because Annie and Finnick had helped him to do everything, even inventory. Then they insisted on returning Thom's cart. They would return to get paid and Milles had mentioned he would ask them to stay for dinner. He was in the kitchen fixing that up. I'd offered to help but he refused. He preferred to have me looking after Peeta; according to him cooking was his way of relaxing anyway. I was more than glad to obey.

"Do you think he's uncomfortable?" I asked Prim when I saw him wince. I'd hadn't left his side since the moment I returned from speaking to Annie. I knew it had not been about me but I couldn't help to think that if I'd been here this wouldn't have happened. It had to be Peeta's mother who'd done this, who else? But I couldn't say anything; there was a slight possibility that I could be wrong. And if I was and I said something I would make Milles feel even worse than he already felt.

"It's hard to say." She said arranging the sheet over him so he wouldn't be cold. "The sleeping syrup works well. He might just be having a bad dream." I leaned my head on the side of his to whisper in his hear.

"It's just a dream, Peeta. You're safe." I kissed him again. Prim smiled at me.

"You used to calm _me_ down when I had a bad dream." _And when you were a kid. You're not a kid anymore. _I couldn't say that. There are things that I just couldn't say. I didn't know how.

"I did, but you don't need me to do that anymore." I grabbed her hand while my other one staid on Peeta's hair.

"Why does that make you sad?" She asked, sitting beside me.

"Because soon you'll have to experience all of this, the quota, getting married… and I wish you didn't have to." Prim frowned at me and I wondered briefly where I was when she got that expression. I'd never seen her look like that, so grown up.

"I'm not afraid." She said it as the person she was becoming, not the little girl I knew. My sister was wiser than I would ever be. "Life is never as perfect as it could be, but it's good enough. Marriage is only scary if you're not in love. And I think I could be." I look at her blue eyes questioningly, was she in love already? When did that happen? She blushed and looked down. "I mean, mom and dad taught me that. And you and Peeta. You are happy, aren't you Katniss?" I looked at Peeta because I've never been a good liar. Then I realized I don't have to lie.

"Yes, I am." Even now, with Peeta hurt, I realize I have a good life. A _really _good life even when I never planned it.

"See? You love each other and you're happy. Life here is not bad if you love your family. And I'm going to be a healer so I don't ever have to be afraid of not having food."

"That I'll make sure of. But life is not as easy as that, Prim. Love doesn't magically solve everything. Look at what happened to mom when dad died." Prim sighed. She took a long time to answer.

"It might not solve anything. But it helps." I didn't speak anymore because I didn't want to say something that would hurt her feelings. I looked at Peeta instead and I tried not to think about how similar they truly were. I ran my fingers through Peeta's hair over and over again and I focused on the motion. It was very calming.

"You also sang." Said Prim. I'd been so deep in thought it took me a moment to know what she was talking about. She noticed this and she added "when I had a bad dream. You'd sing to me so I would fall asleep. Maybe it would help Peeta, too." I was about to refute that Peeta wasn't a child anymore to be soothed with songs, when his father opened the door. He looked pale and even more miserable than before. I thought the worst.

"Could you come here for a second, Katniss?" Prim noticed his expression, too.

"Stay with him?" I asked her and she nodded, taking my place. I left the room and followed Milles to the kitchen.

"What happened?" I asked worryingly.

"I went to get the money to pay Finnick and Annie and I saw this…" He showed me the metal box. The metal box where they keep all the earnings of the bakery. It was empty. His terrified face told me it wasn't him who had emptied it.

"Do you think Annie took it?" I didn't finish saying it because I knew it can't be true and because he was shaking his head. He showed me a padlock.

"It wasn't forced at all. I think Eudora came and took it." Of course it was her. My back stiffened like I had just been stabbed, and I felt a rush of blood going to my head. I feel lightheaded, I was livid.

"So she's the one that did that to Peeta." It wasn't a question.

"I don't know, but she was here. And she must have taken the money when Annie was downstairs with Peeta." I wanted to yell and throw the damn box to the other side of the room. But Peeta's father looked so sad. "I have nothing to pay Finnick and Annie with." The pouch is still around my neck. I take it off. Instead of giving into my anger, I started thinking.

"We didn't spend all of it. We can give them that," He looked into the pouch.

"Is not nearly enough. And they did more than was necessary."

"We can't pay for it now, we can just pay for it later. They'll have to understand." He nodded

"Even if they do, we have no money for ourselves. I can't pay your wages or Peeta's." I sigh. The money in that safe was really all Mr. Mellark had. The situation was bad. Really bad. But even in my anger I couldn't pretend this was the worse it had ever been.

"We still have the supplies. We can figure it out. And as for the weekly expenses, there are many ways to get money, Milles. Don't worry." He looked at my hopefully and he hugged me.

"Thank you, Katniss. For everything you've done for this family." He was so sad, that my anger receded somewhat.

"We'll be ok, Milles." I don't know how this is true. We have no money for weekly purchases, Peeta and I have savings but they amount to nothing unless we get an income. We have two houses to maintain and now we are in debt with Annie and Finnick. My stomach tightens in anticipation of telling them what has happened. Just as I'm thinking of the best way to say this, I hear them outside.

"I'll talk to them, Milles." He's in no shape to take more yelling from anyone and I doubt they'll be calm when I tell them they will only get a few coins for all their troubles. He nodded and left. I opened the door to let them in.

"Is Peeta ok?" Finnick asks me when he walks in.

"Yes, but something else happened." Finnick is concerned and Annie looks scared immediately. "The person you heard, Annie, was Peeta's mother. When Peeta got hurt she went and took all of the money from the bakery. We have nothing left." Annie looked disheartened, Finnick looked upset.

"Why would she do that?"

"She has a vendetta against me because of something I did. I thought she would get even but I didn't know that she was capable of this." They looked horrified. "Because of that, we can't give you the entire sum you were entitled to. You can have this," I said stretching out my hand and putting the money on Finnick's hand. "For now, then as we get some more money we will pay the rest. You have my word." I was hoping they would accept. If they didn't they could go to the Justice Building and contest our claims. It would get big and messy, and they would probably win since everyone saw Finnick with me at the train station today.

Finnick looked at Annie and then he returned the money to me. So it would have to be the hard way. I sighed apprehensively.

"Keep the money." He said. "You need it. You can pay us whenever you can." I stared at him, searching desperately for a hidden threat or some sort of blackmail.

"We owe you money. You could argue it to the peacekeepers it if you wanted to."

"We don't want to. You've been good to us, unlike everyone else here. We won't take advantage of you in your time of need." He was being serious.

"But you have no money." He shrugged and smiled arrogantly again.

"And that's horrible, but we will manage. You need the money for the bakery. If you keep working you'll pay us when you can, if you don't you will be as poor as we are." Annie looked at Finnick lovingly and I wondered for a second if he was actually different than I'd expected.

"Wait here." I went and explained the situation to Milles. He was as confused as I was. He insisted on talking to Finnick himself.

"We might not be able to pay for your work in a while. You must accept this money." He begged Finnick who was holding Annie and smiling at her like he'd never known beauty before her. For a second I believed Peeta. Maybe they _were _in love.

"We can't. And we won't. Use it to help Peeta heal."

"At least stay for dinner." Milles begged. Finnick looked at Annie questioningly and she smiled.

"That we will accept." Milles brought them dinner, I returned to Peeta's side. I convinced Prim to go eat and I stayed with him.

* * *

**2\. Peeta**

Everything hurt. My leg felt like it was burning the most but my whole right side was in pain. I felt like if I breathed it would hurt. I'd been asleep, for how long I didn't know. And it was so dark I couldn't figure out where I was. I tried to get up, that was a big mistake.

"Peeta?" Katniss was there. I looked to my left and I saw nothing. Whatever I was sleeping on was not our bed. It was very firm. It was hurting my shoulders.

"Katniss, where are you?" I whispered and I couldn't help to groan in pain. I remembered the fall now. I remembered Annie and my father. Then it was all black.

"I'm here." She'd been right beside me, to my right. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw that the couch from the living room was there. I saw the furniture, I was at my parent's dining room, possibly on the dining room table. I was cold and no wonder, I was practically naked. I would've blushed but it really hurt when I tried to reach for Katniss.

"Don't move. You'll hurt yourself." She grabbed my hand and with her other hand she pushed me down the table. She sat right beside me. "Your foot was broken and you cut your leg pretty bad. But you're better now. You only need to heal."

"I'm such an idiot." I sighed. It had all been my fault. I'd been so mad to see my mother in the bakery that I rushed down the stairs. And I'd slipped. How many times had my father told me to be careful?

"Don't say that." She said and she ran her fingers through my hair.

"I am. Had I been paying more attention none of this would've happened." I sighed.

"Did she push you?" Katniss was mad. Madder than I'd seen her before, I put our clasped hands over my chest.

"No." This was the truth. "I was mad to see her, yes. But she didn't push me. I went to the storage room and she left. She probably didn't even hear me fall." I saw Katniss anger rise.

"She didn't leave right away. She might have not pushed you down, but she didn't help when she heard you fall." I patted her hand on my chest.

"No, I saw her leave." I said confidently. She wasn't convinced but she didn't seem to want to talk about it.

"It doesn't matter now." I knew right away, she was hiding something from me.

"Why do you think she didn't leave? What happened?" She shook her head.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. You need to rest now." I shook my head.

"Katniss, please. What happened?" She ran her fingers through my hair again. She was not about to tell me the truth. Then I saw her teary eyes. "What's wrong?" I asked. A tear escaped her tired eyes.

"I was so afraid you weren't going to wake up. It's stupid," I pulled on her hand gently opening my arms to embrace her even though my right arm felt really sore. "Prim told me you'd be fine but I was still afraid." I kissed her head.

"I'm sorry I scared you." I said softly, feeling her small frame shaking on my chest. This was worse than my leg. "I'm sorry, Katniss. I'm alright." I said, making her hold me closer. She pulled away briefly and then she returned to me, kissing me forcefully with as much care as she was able. She was holding her body carefully off mine, but her mouth came hard on my lips and she cupped my face in her hands. Her mouth left mine but then she kissed me three, four more times. She was overcome with something… fear? I wasn't sure. Some of her tears had fallen on my face, when she finally released me she wiped her face and then mine.

"I'm so happy you're awake." She said again, I wiped the last of her tears from her face. She leaned in to kiss me again. This time it was much softer. "I wouldn't be able to do all of this alone."

"You will never have to." I promised. I pulled her in for another kiss. And we kissed over and over again until she wasn't sobbing and until I didn't desperately need her lips on mine anymore. She sat back down and ran her fingers through my hair; she kept her eyes looking at the movement of her hands. I looked at _her_. When a long time had passed she spoke again.

"I should get you something for the pain. You can take some syrup." She began getting up but I stopped her.

"I don't want to sleep." I wanted this moment to last because we were together and nobody else seemed to matter. I felt as if all of Katniss' barriers were down and by the time we woke up tomorrow they would be back up again.

"But you have to." She said weakly. "I will stay here, with you. You won't be alone."

"Ok. But only if you come here." I said, inviting her to join me in the table. I expected her to say no, but she sighed.

"Let me get you the syrup." She went to the other room and she returned with a glass of water. She made me drink all of it and then she went to put the cup away. I tried to move by myself but it wasn't possible. When she returned and saw what I was trying to do, she glared at me. "Peeta!" She chastised in whispers. She went to me and did her best to move me slightly to the right without hurting me. When she managed it, she arranged the sole sheet protecting my privacy carefully. "Are you cold?" She asked as her hand touched my right shoulder.

"A little." She left again and came back with a blanket. She put it around me and got on the table.

"If this breaks and we fall you're explaining to your father what happened to his table." She said annoyed as she got comfortable between my arm and my side. I planted a kiss on her head.

"I promise." I was already feeling drowsy. She was wide awake, and I felt her watching me intently. I met her gaze and I stared into her sad eyes. I hated myself for making her feel said in any way. She placed her hand in my cheek.

"Promise you won't ever leave?" I put my hand on hers.

"I promise." I was almost asleep when I said that. I thought I felt her kissing my chest once. And I must have dreamed it, but I thought I heard her humming to herself before I fell asleep.

* * *

**3\. Katniss**

My back was sore because I didn't move at all during the night. When I woke up I was still on the table with Peeta. He was fast asleep and his chest was moving steadily with the rhythm of his breathing. I kissed his cheek and got up. I arranged his blanket so he wouldn't be cold. I got up and realized the world couldn't stop because of what had happened. I went to the kitchen, Milles was there wearing his pajama still and making tea.

"Are we not opening today?" I asked. He shook his head.

"How is Peeta?" He asked hopefully.

"He woke up in the middle of the night and we talked. He's ok but I haven't told him about the money." He seemed to understand.

"Did Eudora…?"

"No." He looked so relieved that I could only imagine what pain he must have felt when he thought she had. Not that it made her any less responsible. She'd heard him fall and she'd done nothing. "We need to tell Peeta. We need to make a decision about how we'll get out of this. We can't let her get away with this." Milles nodded.

"Your sister is sleeping upstairs. Do you want to wait until she leaves?" I shook my head.

"No, but we can tell Peeta when he wakes up." He nodded. He offered me a cup of tea and I took it. Moments later I heard Peeta calling my name. He was lying on the table and looked up when I opened the door. He smiled at me when he saw me. Relief washed over me yet again so I went straight to him and kissed him. He smiled.

"Hmm," He hummed against my lips. "You taste like raspberry tea." I smiled but then I couldn't avoid worrying about how he would take the news. "What's wrong?"

"Your father and I need to talk to you." I said.

"I want to sit up." He said.

"It might hurt you." I insisted and when he refused to listen I stood behind him to help him up. Impossibly he sat up. I sat next to him while his father explained. His expression shifted from sad to angry in seconds. And when his father explained about the safe, I saw him clenching his jaw tightly.

"Is that what you didn't want to tell me?" I nodded. Prim was coming down the stairs and Milles went to make her breakfast. I expected him to be mad, but he only looked sad.

"She heard me falling and she still went for the money." He said, after all she'd hurt him, he still believed there was some good in her. I clasped his hand in mine.

"We could tell the peacekeepers." I've wanted that for so long. She deserved rotting in jail.

"I couldn't do it." Peeta said weakly. "I couldn't do that to her, even when she's done this to me."

"She would deserve it." I said softly, his hand clasped my hand tighter.

"I still couldn't do it." He sighed and then his eyes looked determined. "We need to get to work. Fast. We only have this month's supplies. If we want to keep up to date with the demand, we need to get enough money…"

"Even if we cover for the bakery's expenses, we won't get enough profit to sustain ourselves. And when the winter comes…" I dreaded the winter. Always had and probably always would. Milles joined us this time, with Prim following right behind him with her breakfast in her hands.

"You could hunt." Prim suggested and took a bite of her stale biscuit. Then it all made sense.

"That could keep us fed. But then who will be in the shop?" Peeta would not be able to help that much at least for now. I couldn't hunt and be in time to help Miles in the shop.

"And then someone has to handle the books, the deliveries and keep the inventory for the supplies." Added Milles.

"We'll still need help." I'd been awake after Peeta had fallen asleep and I'd thought about it for a long time. There was just no way Milles and I could run the Bakery without Peeta. Even with Milles baking and me on the shop. We needed someone to make deliveries and then someone else to handle the books, the orders and get the supplies. We needed more people to cover for the bakery.

"I could help!" said Prim hopefully.

"You have school and you work with mom in the afternoons, Prim. It's impossible." I replied right away.

"We could ask Finnick and Annie." Peeta offered. Without Peeta's mother at the bakery, that wasn't a problem anymore.

"We owe them money as is." Milles refuted sadly. And then I figured it out.

"We could trade for it." I said looking at Peeta hopefully.

"We have nothing of value." Milles looked around as if out of sheer hope something valuable would appear around us.

"I'll take Finnick to hunt with me. We can bring back more food if there are two of us. In exchange Annie can work here with you. Peeta can do the books while he heals and Milles can do the baking. Annie will be in front. And when I'm back from hunting I can handle inventory and the orders." Peeta looked worried.

"I don't want you putting yourself in danger all the time, not for our benefit." I frowned.

"Who said it was your benefit? It's all of us. And it benefits Finnick and Annie, too." Milles sighed.

"I think it might work." Assessed Milles.

"And the deliveries?" I asked Peeta.

"We can figure that one later. For now I think I need to lay down." He looked pale.

"You lost a lot of blood. You really need to rest." It was hard to take Prim seriously when her face was full of crumbs. Peeta noticed that and he smiled.

"I will." Prim and Miles left and Peeta gave me a concerned look.

"Are you sure about this?" He grabbed my hand and put it on his chest.

"I am. Hopefully Finnick will agree." I looked at the table were he was. With Peeta unable to walk we would probably have to stay here. "First, we need to get you a better bed."

"How about some clothes?" He asked, moving his sheet higher up his waist.

"That too." He smiled and kissed my hand.

* * *

**There you go! Two in a day. **

**Please share your thoughts with me if that's possible. **

**Coming up: Hunting **


	17. Hunting

**Hi guys, so sorry for the massive delay. A combination of writer's block and having no time kept me from posting. I hope that the fact that it's almost 10,000 words long will make up for it, even if just a little bit. Just so you know, I will see this story till the end. Even if it takes me longer than I would've hoped. **

* * *

**Katniss**

I opened my eyes, startled. It took me a moment to understand that I was at the bakery, sleeping in what usually worked as Peeta's parents' living room. Last night after we finished talking about what to do we realized it would just be easier for us to stay at the bakery. Peeta suggested I got back to the house but I wouldn't even consider it. I wanted to be here for him. Besides, walking back and forth would be impossible since all my time would now go to taking care of Peeta and the Bakery. So we stayed. We had improvised a bedroom, Finnick and Milles had brought down two beds and we'd pushed them together against a wall. We'd covered the windows to afford us some privacy, fortunately, there was a door separating the living room from the actual shop so Peeta could stay there most of the day without being disturbed.

For a moment I was glad that this was an old merchant house, otherwise they never would've spent so much money on dividing up rooms or on the second bathroom downstairs which included a shower. In the Seam most houses were boxy and had only two rooms and a main living area. Most of them had one bathroom, if any.

We'd gone to bed really late reorganizing the rooms and I was exhausted, but I had barely slept. I'd had so many nightmares. I kept losing everyone, my parents, Prim, Peeta…over and over. I'd woken up several times.

"Are you ok?" Peeta asked in the dark, his hand going to my shoulder right away. How he cared about me when even in the darkness I could see his brow shiny with sweat, was beyond me.

"I'm fine," I said, reaching out to touch his forehead. He wasn't feverish but he had to be in pain. "How are you?" He sighed.

"My leg hurts a bit, other than that-" I was up in a second. I got him some of the drops my mother had brought back to help with the pain. I knelt beside the bed.

"You should've told me you were in pain. You can wake me, you know?" Peeta looked like I was speaking nonsense.

"It's not that bad, and you've been working so hard." He put a hand on my wrist to stop me from giving him the drops. "I don't want to fall asleep again." He said softly. "At least not yet." I sighed. I wanted to be mad at him, why did he insist on being in pain? But I couldn't help to think that I would be way less nice if I was the one in his position. I put the drops back on the table. I looked at Peeta, his brow may have looked sticky and sweaty, but his eyes were bright and sweet, as always. "Come here." He stretched out an arm.

I hesitated. I still felt the lingering anxiety from the dreams I've had and I wasn't sure I wanted to be comforted. Then I saw his bright blue eyes beckoning me, and I realized it wasn't about comforting me. I went around the bed and sat beside him. I couldn't stop myself from running my fingers through his curls.

"You had nightmares." He said.

"I'm ok." I said quickly. There was a crease between his eyebrows.

"I think I know why you're anxious," Who even said I was? I wondered. "But I just want you to know, Katniss, you're not alone in this. I may be hurt, but we're gonna be fine. The bakery has never failed to provide for all of us." I didn't know how much I needed to hear that until he said it. Or how little hope I had in it being true.

"You don't know, Peeta. What if business goes down or what if it goes up and we can't afford to keep up with the demand?" Peeta sighed and did his best to sit up, wincing as he went. "Don't move, you will hurt yourself."

"I'm fine." He said. I didn't believe him for a second but he was already sitting up a little. "I can't promise you things won't be difficult, even with your hunting and Finnick and Annie's help. But I just want you to know, you won't be alone. We may not have much, but what we do have will cover for our basic needs. The situation is not as dire as it seems."

I knew that was true. I realized I wasn't afraid of being hungry, that I've been my whole life even if the past months had softened me somewhat. But Peeta didn't know what it was like.

"We can't take it for granted."

"We won't." He promised, finally grabbing my hand and holding it between both of his. "We will do this, together." He said, just like he had before we entered the Justice Building. We were quiet for a moment, I watched his chest going up and down as he breathed, he looked at our hands. I squeezed his fingers before letting go.

"You need to sleep." I said, and he complied silently. He took the drops when I gave them to him.

"Maybe you should take one, or you won't sleep at all." He looked like that was the one thing he was willing to put up a fight with, so I took a drop and returned to the bed. I only fell asleep because of the drops. He hadn't spoken anymore but he held my hand, even after I fell asleep.

* * *

I dressed in the dark after rummaging for clothes in the messy dining room. It was a week after his fall and Prim happily announced that he could get up every day to take a shower. I'd been glad since the nights had begun to warm up and the living room had very little ventilation. I knew it would make him more comfortable. I turned around to see if Peeta's eyes matched my excitement only to find him looking worried.

"Thanks Prim. A shower sounds great." Prim beamed at him and went into the kitchen. Then Peeta's eyes fell on me.

"What's wrong?" I said, automatically touching his forehead and looking for any signs of feverishness. He gently grabbed my wrist and put my hand on his chest. His chest was warm and hard.

"We can probably ask my dad to help me out in the shower." Then it hit me. As his wife I would naturally be expected to be the one to help him in such things.

"No," I hurried even though I felt my face burning. "I can do it."

"Katniss, you don't have to-"

"I'll do it." I said trying to look as confident as I could manage even though my stomach had just given an awkward flip. He just kissed my hand in response, but I could tell he wasn't entirely sold to the idea.

His father had helped me wrap Peeta's leg with a plastic cover so the dressings wouldn't get wet and then to get him to the bathroom. Then we were on our own and what was about to happen finally hit me. I took a deep breath; every muscle in my back seemed to get tighter by the second.

"I can probably manage, if you just help me into the shower." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't be silly, Peeta. I can do it." To show him just how willing I was I grabbed the end of his shirt and pulled it up. I did it too fast, making him lose his balance momentarily. I held him by the waist and he placed his hands on my shoulders. "I'm clearly not cut out for this."

"You're doing fine. I think I can do that if you hold on to me" He said with a shaky smile. I didn't let go until I was certain he was steady. Then he grabbed the end of his shirt and took it off himself. I looked down when his chest was bare a mere few inches away from me. I knew my face was red but then Peeta started laughing loudly. "You look like a beet." He laughed and that was enough to set my anger off. "I've never seen you blush so much."

"I'm not blushing; it's just hot in here." He grabbed my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'm not trying to tease you, you're just so… pure." He said when he'd finally decided on a word. The taunting was what gave me enough courage to undo his pants. As soon as his pants were undone I looked at his face and only that. Then I realized it would be impossible not to look at him considering the wound was right on his thigh and I had to carefully slide his pants down, as loose as they were I still had to be careful. I heard Peeta take a deep breath when I began pulling his pants down over his wound and I decided to stopped being so silly and paid attention to his leg, I didn't want to hurt him. Once his pants and the rest of his undergarments were on the floor I held him by the waist and helped him step out of them. I knew by this point my blushing would be inexcusable but to my surprise he didn't say anything about it once I started the shower.

"Thank you for doing this, I know this must be uncomfortable." Later I thought that maybe it would've been nice to say something, but my focus was staying carefully away from Peeta so I decided not to acknowledge him any further. At least no more than necessary. I helped him into the shower and he didn't say anything besides thank you when I passed him the soap and occasionally

"I just don't want to do something stupid and hurt you." I said once he was half dressed and out of the shower. He shook his head.

"That's the least of my worries, Katniss." I didn't ask him what he meant.

By the end of the week it became part of our routine and although seeing him naked didn't completely shock me anymore I couldn't say it didn't affect me. I'd caught myself more than once thinking about him often, and then I felt horrible about it and made myself stop. I couldn't be gawking at him when he needed my help.

I finished braiding my hair and I put my hunting jacket on, afternoons might have been getting warmer but the mornings were still chilly. I was putting on my boots when Peeta stirred.

"Leaving already?" he murmured hoarsely.

"Go back to sleep, you still have some time before your dad comes." His father would help him get ready while I went into the forest with Finnick.

"I know. I just wanted to say goodbye." I smiled against myself. Only Peeta would lose a moment of sleep over something like saying goodbye. I put my other boot on and then walked around the bed to his side.

"How's the leg?" I asked unable to stop myself from glancing at it.

"Good, just a little sore." I frowned immediately, thinking back at when we last gave him some painkillers. "I'm fine." He added, like he knew what I was thinking. He reached out and held my braid between is index and his thumb. "Be safe out there."

His curls were a mess and his eyes were still heavy with sleep. He looked younger in the dark, and impossibly even sweeter. I kissed his forehead.

"I will." I said, like every morning since I'd started hunting with Finnick. Before I had time to pull back fully he reached for a kiss, I kissed him gently. My lips were still tingly when I walked through the back door.

* * *

When I reached the fence that separated Panem from the forest, I ran into Finnick. For such an annoying person, he was quite punctual.

"Good morning, Mrs. Mellark." He said with a knowing look. "Did Mr. Mellark have anything to do with your delay this morning?"

"I overslept." I mumbled. I knew better than to expect my tone to deter him in the slightest.

"Sure you did." He said and after a quick look around we went through the barrier.

The scents, sounds and colors of the forest put me at ease immediately. My mind didn't seem as cluttered as it had when Peeta had kissed me this morning, or as it always was lately, when I worried at times that we wouldn't make ends meet. The bakery's financial problems, the loud costumers and the sneaking around disappeared the moment that I took a deep of fresh breathable air, I was home.

I entered that state of complete alert that I needed to be in whenever I was hunting. Much like any other predator my senses seemed to be heightened and I was able to read even the slightest indication that there was live prey nearby. They were close, and I could provide for my family another day. This was the greatest feeling in the world.

Unless you were rudely interrupted by an obnoxious idiot.

"Look! A mushroom!" He exclaimed. I turned even when I knew already what I would find. Finnick had found another poisonous mushroom and he was about to touch it because, in his words, "it was funny looking."

"Stop!" I said again, he withdrew his hand quickly not only was the mushroom poisonous but he actually managed to find one surrounded by poison Ivy. We'd been through this two times before and the sun was beginning to sneak through the tree branches. He looked sheepish in that arrogant way of his. "You'll be scratching till the end of summer if you touch that plant." He put his hand in his pocket. Then he grinned widely at me.

"Are we there yet?" He said with a dramatically exhausted sigh. I rolled my eyes and continued walking. For the past week we'd been going over routes, trap setting and the Hob. We'd gotten into the forest, but not to the lake. He'd beamed at me when I offered hunting to him, he'd looked thrilled to participate and he didn't seem to care in the slightest that it was an illegal and punishable activity. But his enthusiasm hadn't compared to the expression of sheer joy when I confessed that there was a lake we could get to. I barely managed to slip from his grasp before he hugged me.

"We'll be there soon," I said after a moment "I need to get something first." I said and approached the tree where my bow was. I felt uncomfortable knowing that Finnick would know my secret hiding spot, it was the first time he would see it, but he looked completely out of place in the woods so I doubted he would be able to find this place again even if he wanted to.

"Nice." He said, his wide smile showing off his dimples.

"Can you use a bow?" I asked, knowing well he probably wouldn't.

"Not well, you can try to teach me if you want. But I'm better with other weapons." He said appraising me as I put the bow over my shoulder. I ran my fingers through the arrows on my quiver. I always made sure I had at least seven.

"I think I'll pass. Are you sure you can fish?" I asked raising an eyebrow. He recognized the challenge.

"Just get me to the water, Mellark." He said and I turned. I might be annoyed by his uncanny ability to get distracted and be loud, but having competition had always been a good motivation for me. And after hearing him talking I was curious an about the things he could teach me. I focused on that when I had an intense desire to shoot him with an arrow.

He started slowing down his pace and I rolled my eyes.

"You better not be stopping to look at another damn mushroom." He was looking down but when I said that he looked away, pretending to stare into a different direction.

"It's too early to be so grumpy, Mellark. I had never been this far into to the woods of Panem before, darling. This is quite an adventure for me." I rolled my eyes and continued walking. An adventure? If my little plan didn't work out we would have to seriously cut back in the way we lived our lives. Hunger was too vivid a memory to simply dismiss it even if I was in a different situation and he was calling it an adventure.

I kept walking towards the lake, not bothering too much about getting any game. Finnick had completely ignored my suggestions and he was scaring off anything within a mile radius with all the noise he was making. The day would be saved, however, if we caught something in the lake. We'd had some warm days lately, and we had to take advantage of them as possible since we could count on finding game once the summer started.

"I can smell the water!" Finnick said and I rolled my eyes at him.

"No you can't, we're not there yet." He looked uninterested in my opinion.

"It will probably not compere to the ocean, but it will do." He went on.

_Fishing, he can fish_. I kept repeating to myself.

"What's that?" He interrupted again, but his voice was quieter and he sounded alert. I looked up to identify a possible danger but I saw nothing but the old cabin.

"It's an empty cabin; it's been there for as long as I can remember. Don't worry nobody comes near it." He seemed cheerful again after my explanation.

When we finally reached the lake the sun was out, and I couldn't help to smile at the clearness of the water and the sight of the mountains that kept it cozy and secret. I turned to Finnick, determined to show him where we'd placed the nets that would undoubtedly need mending but when I saw him I quickly looked away.

"What are you doing?" I said equally alarmed and exasperated. He was taking his clothes off.

"Swimming." He said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world to do. I turned around him, he was taking his pants off showing off a piece of clothing that I had only seen in books. It was a swimming suit. We didn't have need for them in District 12 so nobody even sold them.

"This isn't the ocean, Finnick. The water will be cold." Finnick threw me a dazzling look, that I was certain would convince most women but all I could think of was how he'd die of hypothermia and I'd be stuck telling Annie that Finnick was dead because he was an idiot. And there was no way I was carrying his dead body back.

"Just a quick one. I haven't been in the water in ages, love." I hated the terms of endearment so much I just crossed my arms over my chest and watched him dive gracefully from a rock and into the cold water. To my surprise he came out seconds later, letting out a loud laugh. "It feels wonderful!" He said. Out of curiosity I leaned forward and touched the water, my fingers were numb in seconds. It was decided, he was completely insane.

"Can you get back here? I need to show you where the nets are!" I said angrily. He swam towards me, he was a really fast swimmer. He looked more like a fish than a man with the way his arms let him glide quickly in the water in an apparently effortless way. He came out of the water and I had to admit that he was kind of stunning. Again, it just seemed obvious to me that we was really attractive. He was as tall as Gale was, but his shoulders were a little broader and his skin was tan even though he couldn't have been exposed to the sun lately. His body was long, strong and slimmer than Gale's had ever been. His chest was wide, it occurred to me that maybe it was just the way your body was shaped if you swam a lot. Suddenly I thought of Peeta. He was shorter and stockier but his arms seemed thicker. His chest was defined but his abdomen seemed slightly softer, even if it was hard to the touch. I liked how the lines of his body seemed strong but welcoming. And I liked how his arms felt heavy around me when I slept on his chest.

I had to stop making everything about Peeta.

Finnick stood beside me and shook his head, making water drip all over me.

"Did you have to do that?" He smiled cheekily.

"Yes." He said and looked towards the lake. "We'll have no problems with the fish, there are plenty of them and little room. This will be easy even if I don't have the proper tools."

"Yes, that's why I wanted to show you the nets." His green eyes sparked with interest.

"Show me, then."

We spent the rest of the morning retrieving the nets. There were holes and tears due to the lack of use, and according to Finnick they were poorly woven and they had let all the fish out.

"You show me how to do it, then." And that he did. His fingers moved swiftly over the broken net. He was skilled and he was weaving the thread into a pattern that was too complicated to follow.

"I can mend this in no time. It would be great if Annie could come, she's better with nets." Now that he mentioned it I wondered if Peeta would like to come to the lake.

"How can she do better than this?" I said looking at a very complicated knot he'd just finished.

"You flatter me, Mellark. That was almost a compliment." I rolled my eyes at him.

"She just is. I'm better with a trident."

"It will be hard to get one of those around here."

"Nearly impossible, I think." What he was saying was bad but he was still smiling. He looked quite busy without me so I decided to try to get something by myself while he worked on the net.

"I'm gonna go into the forest, to see if we can bring something back. It's getting late." Finnick looked at the sun.

"I'll get something; maybe we could have fish for dinner tonight." He winked at me.

"Yeah," I didn't mean it. He was good but the net didn't seem anywhere near finished. "Don't go wandering into the forest, I don't have time to look for you if you get lost." I said firmly. He laughed.

"I didn't know you cared!" I didn't look back to see him but I could hear his laugh for a while after that.

* * *

I was exhausted. Every day I woke up, hunted with Finnick, went to the Hob to sell as much as we could and what we didn't sell we brought back home. He cleaned up the fish while Peeta made me eat breakfast with him. He never ate before I got home. When that was done I returned to the bakery and began updating the inventory and cleaned up the kitchen while Finnick helped put everything in the front. When we found out that Annie was an excellent cook she began preparing lunch and dinner, so I would go to the shop and I would take Peeta with me to keep me company mostly because he dealt with clients better. He did the smiling and I did the packaging. After closing we would eat dinner together. Annie and Finnick would help me and Peeta's father clean up for the shop. That's when Peeta's dad would go upstairs. Before sleeping I helped Peeta shower and after I dressed him I would take a shower. Then we would go into bed and I would fall asleep to Peeta playing with my hair. And then it started all over again.

Sundays were my only reprieve. It was Saturday night and I'd just taken a shower. I was drying my hair with a towel when I came back into the room Peeta was sitting up in the bed. He often complained that he felt like a dying man when he was lying down all day. He had discarded his shirt and his blond hair was still damp from the shower. He'd gotten into the bad habit of sleeping without a shirt because the dining room got really hot in the evening. I'd let him after we argued about it a lot. I knew he wouldn't catch his death, but sometimes it was hard to look at him like he was now, just a pair of pajama bottoms, delicious scent and blue eyes and not stare. Seeing him naked every night didn't help at all, and no matter how I tried it still unnerved me. I put my towel away and the clothes I had taken off in the shower.

I'd been wearing a long ratty t-shirt that my dad used to wear and shorts to bed. Peeta was like a furnace and since I always slept close to him I ended up suffocated by heat. My hair was wet from the shower and it cooled off my back nicely. When I dropped face down on the bed, sinking my face on my pillow Peeta chuckled. I felt his index finger touching the bare skin on my back. Only there shouldn't be any bare skin there, I was wearing a shirt.

"You need a new one." He said with an amused tone. I didn't attempt to lift my head from my pillow. Or open my eyes.

"This one is fine." I mumbled.

"It has holes on it!" He accused. "You can have one of mine if you like. I have more than I wear." I opened my eyes to glare at him. He laughed. I leaned on my elbows and propped myself up. I looked at him questioningly. He pointed at a pile of shirts we had placed into one of the pieces of furniture.

"Which one?"

"Choose whichever you like." He told me with a bemused expression. I grabbed a soft white one. Then I glared at him until he closed his eyes and I changed my shirt. At first I'd gone to the bathroom to change but the more I worked and the more tired I became the less I cared if he was there or not. He already knew he had to look away when I was changing. Then I went back into bed and sunk my face in my soft, soft pillow. Working exclusively at the Bakery with Peeta had weakened me, my body had forgotten what it was like to have days like these.

"Happy?" I asked and he placed a kiss on my shoulder.

"Yes." He said. After a while of being quiet I opened my eyes. Peeta was looking up.

"What?" I asked him. He sighed deeply. He did that sometimes. He just looked away and sighed.

"Nothing. I'm just worrying." I laid on my side so I could look at him. I grabbed the hand that was resting on his lap.

"Why?" He shrugged and I sighed heavily.

"What?" He looked amused.

"You're such a hypocrite." That didn't seem to offend him, he only smiled wider.

"What?"

"You're always making me share when I'm upset. But when it comes to you,_ it's nothing._" I did a horrible impression of him which earned me a heartfelt laugh.

"You are so bad at impressions." I dropped his hand on his lap like it was burning me and I sunk my face in the pillow.

"That's how upset I am." I mumbled and I felt him shifting his position so he would be laying on his side, his head on his pillow.

"Don't be upset." He said softly. I turned my head away from the pillow and when I opened my eyes he was inches away from me.

"Why are you sad?" He sighed; his blue eyes seemed a lot bluer when he was sad. I couldn't explain why but they shifted somehow.

"You're so tired, all of you are. And you're working so hard, and I can't-"

"Don't say it, Peeta." I frowned.

"What?"

"Don't blame yourself. You didn't do any of this, your mother did." How I hated that woman. I despised her. And no matter how many times Peeta had made me promise I wouldn't go after her, I often thought about it.

"It doesn't matter. If I hadn't fallen down I would be able to help." We had talked about this so many times already.

"She would've done something to you. She came to take the money and I doubt that she would have let you stand in her way."

"You don't know that." He said sadly. I ran my fingers through his hair.

"I'm glad you're ok." He looked at me then, his blue eyes slowly turned clearer again. "Whatever happened, I'm grateful you're here. I just don't want to talk about her." He pressed his lips tighter for a second; I thought he would say something. He kissed me instead.

He sunk into me and I found myself pressed against his hard chest and the mattress. He wasn't entirely on top of me because he still couldn't make sudden movements without being in pain. I shifted closer so he didn't have to make an effort and I would still be able to kiss him. Only Peeta's kisses had this effect on me. I felt my body relaxing; I couldn't remember why I was worried anymore. For some reason kissing him also woke me up, and I wanted to stay awake for a little longer, just so he would keep going. His lips left mine abruptly.

"Are you ok?" I looked at him wincing slightly.

"My leg." He looked really upset.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, it's just annoying." He leaned back into his pillow looking dejected. I was slightly disappointed that he had stopped, but I what really troubled me was that he was feeling helpless. "I can't even kiss you without it getting in the way." That surprised me, because Peeta was never cranky. I rolled carefully towards him and leaned my chest on his.

"Then I'll come to you." For some reason my simple solution made him laugh and he kissed me, his arms surrounded my waist and he pulled me against his chest. A part of me somewhere, told me to stop. This was not a good idea. But it was so difficult to stay focused on any thought that wasn't him. Peeta's body felt so good under me and his lips had a way of making my stomach tighten. Everything I thought about all day, all the things that irritated me quieted down and I could only feel his lips on mine. I wanted to keep this going. And then I felt Peeta's hands moving lower and stopping right in my lower back. I wanted them to go lower.

"Wait." I said breathing heavily. He didn't move, he didn't disturb me. So I felt the full weight of what I was doing without his help. I was basically throwing myself at him. He wasn't upset; it didn't seem to bother him. Not at all. I knew enough to be certain he actually quite liked it. But should I keep going?

"Do you want me to stop?" He was as out of breath as I was.

"No." That word took me completely by surprise. I didn't want him to stop. Lately kissing him was the only thing that made me happy, why should I stop?

Because sooner or later he wouldn't want to stop. And when I asked him to he would get mad. I didn't want Peeta to be mad at me.

"I think we should stop." I sat up, moving away from him. I crossed my legs in front of me, like that would protect me from moving closer to him.

"Did I upset you?" He looked concerned. I didn't want that either. But I preferred sadness to his anger. Gale had been angry and then he had left. "Please tell me what you're thinking about, Katniss." He took the hand that was in my lap and I couldn't move away.

"I don't…" Why was it so hard to talk about it? "You'll be mad at me if we keep going and I stop you. I don't want you to be mad." Peeta's eyes were full of understanding. What did he understand? How did he do it?

"I'll never want you to do something you don't want to do. If we're kissing and it gets to be too much, I want you to tell me so I can stop." I looked down at my hands.

"You say that now." He raised my face to meet his eyes with his forefinger on my chin. He didn't look angry. He looked like he always did, kind and sweeter than I'd ever hoped to expect.

"I mean it. I'll only continue if you want me to. You only have to say it." His earnest expression made me believe with all my heart that he was telling me the truth. But a part of me couldn't believe it. He would get mad, and then it would be my fault.

"Why do you want to kiss me?" I frowned, hopefully that would throw him off and he would drop it.

"Because I really like you and I enjoy it." It was so honest it threw me off for a second. It was supposed to work the other way around. "Do you want to kiss me?" He asked shyly.

"Yes." At some level I wondered if I should tone down my honesty. He smiled.

"Then let's do that. Nothing else will happen unless we want it to." Why was it so easy to believe him? After a pause where I felt like he was seeing straight through me. "It's important to me that you're happy, Katniss." I didn't move, I couldn't think of anything else to say. So eventually he laid down. "Let's go to sleep already, you look like you're gonna pass out." He opened his arm for me. And after just a second of hesitation, I took my usual spot and laid my head on his chest. He kissed my head. "Good night, Katniss."

"Night, Peeta."

* * *

**Peeta**

_Why do you want to kiss me?_ The sun was shining through the window that a curtain never fully cover. I'd woken up hours ago because my leg hurt, and even though I would be more comfortable if I got up and stretched a little I had no intention of doing so. Katniss was sleeping on my chest, completely relaxed into me. The shirt I'd given her had rolled up during the night leaving a stretch of soft olive skin uncovered. I had pulled it down as much as I was able but the stubborn fabric had refused and her lower back remained exposed. At first I'd hesitated. I'd gone over a hundred different arguments why I was a horrible human being but then my weakest side had won and I'd carefully placed my hand on her bare skin. It was so soft and perfect I'd been reveling on the sensation for the past hour.

Then she moaned into my neck and I had to take the following fifteen minutes calming myself down so my arousal was not completely obvious. During that time I didn't dare touch her. Last night she didn't seem to mind, but she chose that she didn't mind. Right now it would be wrong. But once I had calmed down I began tracing small circles on her back which made her relax further into her sleep. Now I was in the middle of a mostly lit room, with a sleeping Katniss making a sound like a purr against my neck and my hand on her back. Had my leg not been in so much pain his would've been perfect.

Last night had been a major breakthrough. She couldn't possibly deny anymore that she liked me. She had said so herself and she wanted to kiss me. She had been so eager; I couldn't deny she'd been honest. She was so painfully beautiful. I felt quite proud of myself for telling her so. Even if she blushed she would hear it many more times, because she was. And she wanted me back. I didn't know if she was able to recognize that in herself yet, but when she did I would be there. I'd wait for as long as it took until she was ready, she was worth it.

_Why do you want to kiss me?_ I'd been so close to telling her the truth. But it wasn't a time to indulge. It was a moment where I could prove myself to her. I wouldn't let her down, so I went with a short and simple answer. I said I liked her, even when I met so much more. I just thought it was all she was ready to hear.

"Hmmm," she was mumbling against my neck, her legs were moving under the sheet. Watching her wake up was a true gift. She always moved around, but she never seemed to leave my side. She nestled further into my neck. "I'm not waking up." She said stubbornly.

"I think you already have." I said softly.

"No. It's still Saturday night. I don't have to wake up yet." She turned. Her shirt rolled up even higher.

"You don't have to unless you want to. But maybe you'll want to-um, pull your shirt down?" She opened her eyes and looked down. She turned a dark shade of crimson.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked angrily rolling it all the way down, like she wanted it to cover herself all the way down to her feet.

"You were asleep. I didn't want to wake you up. You looked so peaceful." She looked so embarrassed. "Katniss, I didn't see anything. Just your back, I swear." That didn't seem to help. "You can't possibly be embarrassed. You've seen me naked." Her expression turned surprisingly amused.

"That's not the same thing." She mumbled before he buried her face on the pillow. That's when I heard her laughing. It was the best sound in the world.

"You're right it's not the same, it's worse!" I did my best to move close enough to her to tickle her. She was facing down so her laughter was muffled but it was still wonderful.

"Stop! Stop!" She said between giggles, finally unearthing her face from the pillow. I'd never seen her be so carefree. Not even around her sister.

"Admit that it's different." I said and she turned to face me. I'd trapped her against my chest and the mattress. It was quite a painful maneuver in my state, but it was worth it. Her eyes were still puffy with sleep and her braid was a mess because she had rolled all over the bed. Her eyes were bright with laughter.

"It's different." She finally agreed.

"Thank you for admitting your defeat so gracefully." She frowned. She was a terrible loser.

"How does standing up sound for your leg?" She asked, like she'd been waiting all this time to remind me that she was aware that I was in pain.

"Pretty good." She was out of bed in seconds. She stood to the side of the bed where I turned and sat on the edge of the bed that much I could do on my own. She stood right in front of me so she could pull me up. She did, and as usual, after sleeping my legs were a little stiff so I almost lost my balance. She caught me and put her arms around my waist. I grabbed her shoulders and steadied myself. She stopped herself from giggling some more when she thought she was dropping me but her amusement was clear on her eyes. When she was sure I wasn't going to fall she smiled at me. Her gray eyes brighter than I had ever seen them.

"You're particularly beautiful this morning." I said before I could help it. She rolled her eyes at me but she blushed.

"Shut up." She said and looked away. "Let's get you ready." She told me seriously.

"Ok gorgeous." She blushed again and I was so happy I could barely keep from kissing her.

"Knock it off. It's bad enough I have to deal with Finnick teasing me all day." I smiled at her. I'd leave her alone for now but I couldn't really see myself stopping. It was too much fun especially now that I knew she liked it. But I knew her enough to know that it was best if I only did it when we were alone.

* * *

I couldn't get my hands off her. It had been hard before, but now that I knew it didn't bother her, it was impossible to resist. As busy as our day was, it felt eternal. Usually being busy made the day fly by, but not today. I wanted it to be night so I could be alone with Katniss. I wanted to know if she still wanted to kiss me, or if she would change her mind.

It felt like waiting for her to tell me if she would marry me all over again. Only now it was different, now I thought I had a pretty decent choice of her accepting me, and that was enough to completely distract me.

"Son, it's ready!" My father interrupted me from completely ruining a batch of batter by over stirring it.

"Oh, sorry dad." I mumbled. Annie was in the front so it was just my dad and I, Katniss and Finnick hadn't come back yet from the Hob.

"Are you feeling, all right? Are you sure you're not too tired?" He sounded worried.

"No, dad. I'm great." I said and I tried my best to stay focused, anything that seemed off about me would be horribly misinterpreted by my dad.

"All right, but if you're tired…"

"I'm great, dad." I assured him and he continued with his work.

Katniss and Finnick usually came back around 10:00 and I kept looking at the clock to see how much longer before I saw her again. I had convinced myself that I would be able to tell if she wanted me to try kissing her again tonight by looking at her. If she looked like she regretted what had happened last night, I would let it go, but if she didn't…

"Hey, Peet!, Mr. Mellark," Finnick had burst into the kitchen loudly. He went straight to the sink.

"Where's Katniss?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"And good morning to you, too." Finnick teased, "She said she would be right back. She had to make a stop at her mother's house, first. Something about plants…." He seemed uninterested. "She said you should eat."

"Right, makes sense." I mumbled. Finnick laughed but I'm not sure at what.

I didn't eat. I drank some tea but nothing more. When she got to the bakery it was already noon. I'd been focusing on the icing of a box of ordered cookies for the butcher's daughter's birthday when she came in. I'd barely heard her.

He gray eyes were bright, her cheeks flushed. Her hair disarrayed and her expression stunning. I had my answer.

"Hey," She said and moved towards me. We were alone in the kitchen so I felt allowed to grab her by the waist and pull her towards my good side. I kissed her feeling overwhelmed with delight. When I felt her clinging to me just as eagerly, I kissed her even more ravenously; she met the change with equal force.

"Hey!" Finnick said loudly as he burst into the kitchen "No making out over the merchandise! We have a reputation to uphold!" He said loudly, I felt something like a small ball of dough hitting my head.

"Mind your own business, Finnick!" Katniss sounded angry when she finally left my lips, her tone was hostile but she was still blushing with embarrassment. I didn't feel like letting her go yet so I kept her snug against my chest. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Like you weren't doing the same thing with Annie behind the counter just now?" I said accusingly. He looked even smugger than usual.

"Only because your father is on an errand. Unlike you too, who don't have enough respect for this kitchen to at least check if his around before you go at it." Katniss blushed slightly making Finnick look like he'd won some special award he'd wanted his whole life.

"Shut up, Finnick." Katniss said angrily and stepped away from me. My hand remained on her lower back. I laughed when she finally grabbed a small ball of dough and threw it at his open mouth. He'd choked at first but then he found the sign of hostility hilarious.

That night my evening shower seemed more painful than usual. I always had to keep a strain of off-putting thoughts just to avoid embarrassing myself more than strictly necessary. Now it was ridiculous how difficult it was to keep my reactions in check. Maybe it was because I kept imagining that she let her hands linger on my chest a little longer when she took my shirt off. Or because several times I opened my eyes to find her making an effort to look at a random place in the wall instead of looking at me. For once it felt like she was struggling as bad as I was, and that made it almost impossible to contain myself.

I'd been trying to be more independent lately, so after she dressed me I tried to walk back to the bed alone. I pretended I didn't notice Katniss following me closely. Then I sat on the bed and watched her disappear into the bathroom with a towel and her clothes.

The sound of the water was a constant torment. I pictured her naked under the stream, in the same place I'd been just a second ago. Her body wet and fragrant, her eyes intense like they were in the kitchen today when she'd looked at me like she couldn't see anything else. I tried to distract myself from this image, thinking that here I was full of assumptions when maybe all she would want would be to go to sleep right away. I deflated my expectations by thinking about how she probably was too tired to want to kiss me again, and she would want to sleep even though we'd gone to bed especially early today. By the time she came out of the bathroom I had no hopes at all. I even began preparing myself for bed when all of a sudden, she was there, sitting beside me in the bed leaning forward and catching my lips in hers.

Katniss was never one for subtlety.

"I've wanted to kiss you all day." She said against my lips, she'd never kissed me quite as forcefully before. I couldn't help the groan that escaped my lips and I left behind any pretense of composure. I wanted her too much.

Like before, she was the one who had to be on top of me, or at least over half of my body. If I moved too much my leg would hurt. She was well aware of this because she kept a safe distance from my leg. That seemed to be the only part of me that she wasn't touching.

Her mouth was hot on mine and when she was in my reach I slid my hands around her waist to her back. I took advantage of her proximity to press her against my chest, where she relaxed with a relieved sigh. The sounds she made, I couldn't contain myself any longer.

I want you, was all I could think of. I didn't say it, I knew she might not react well to it and I didn't need to create unnecessary awkwardness when I couldn't even do anything about it. I was already pretending my leg hurt less than it did so she wouldn't hold back and it was paying off, she was less controlled than last night.

Her hands found the back of my neck and I felt her fingers tangling through my hair, her tongue danced with mine in my mouth, the intensity of her need for me had me melting. I couldn't very well hide my arousal anymore, but even if she felt it, and I was certain she must, she didn't say anything. She only moved to get closer to me. Tentatively, I slid my hands under her shirt, feeling the same patch of skin I've felt before under my hands. She felt so small when I grabbed her like this. She arched her back as I slid my hands up and she groaned quietly in my mouth as I ran my hands back down. That's when her mouth finally released mine.

"Wait," She said, her forehead on mine. Her breath was completely ragged and her eyes looked darker. I brushed her hair behind her as I smiled. She really did want me.

"Do you want to stop?" Katniss nodded.

"Ok." I said, feeling only slightly disappointed. I had to follow her lead if I had any hope of her trusting me. I was about to shift under her when she kissed me again. I really pulled her against me this time, feeling every single curve of her body from her chest to her knees. She was glorious. This time when I slid my hands under her shirt she moved away, if only slightly, and like before, I followed her lead. I slid my hand to the front of her torso, my thumb gently grazed her bellybutton and she shuddered, but her lips remained on mine. Encouraged by this response my hand continued going up and I groaned when my fingers finally reached the swell of her breasts. Her body was so perfect I felt myself getting even harder than before. Katniss moaned when I cupped one of her breasts, but she never stopped kissing me. When I ran my thumb over her nipple, however she broke away from me again.

"Wait." She sighed. This time she sat up. I was left reeling and disoriented, but better than I've felt in weeks. "We really should stop now." She said.

"Ok." Was all I really could say. To my surprise, she found that funny and she smiled at me. She leaned forward and gave me a very chaste kiss on the lips. We laid down and she turned off the lamp beside her. I was doing my best to calm myself down when she finally settled down beside me.

"Good night, Peeta." I couldn't kept it and I moved over to kiss her shoulder.

"Good night, Katniss."

* * *

**Katniss**

"So how did you two meet?" Asked Finnick as we cleaned up the storage room that I hated ever since I found Peeta here. With Peeta and Annie assisting Milles in the kitchen, my assigned tasks always ended up with me stuck working with Finnick. Which was almost bearable when he wasn't talking, and that happened once in a blue moon.

"We were on the same grade at school." I said lamely and he stopped what he was doing and shook his head dramatically.

"Wow, that's an overwhelming amount of information." I glared at him.

"I'm sorry if the way we met was not exciting, but it's all there is." He sighed.

"Ok, in school, who approached whom." It was always bad when Finnick was this determined.

"Can't we work in silence?" I complained.

"We can but it's so boring. Come on, tell me something everyone just loves talking about that stuff, what's so difficult about it?"

"I'm not everybody. I rather work in silence." He moved the supply boxes from one side of the room to the other so we could check for vermin and sweep it.

"Come on, I have a bet with Annie about it. I just need you to confirm some details and I win." He gave me a lopsided grin that made him look outrageously attractive. No wonder business always boomed when he was in the front counter.

"What did you bet on?" I said, offended and slightly curious.

"I said Peeta must have dropped on one knee immediately after he saw you, so I bet it happened early on." He gave me a hopeful look as if something in my expression would help him know if he was right. When he found nothing he continued talking. "Annie disagrees; she thinks it doesn't fit somehow. She guesses you fell in love while you were already a teenager." How to tell him both theories were wrong? We weren't in love.

"Annie is right." I said simply and he laughed out loud.

"No way! Tell me the truth, Katniss, please?" He tried to look attractive to persuade me. When was he going to learn that his charms didn't work on me? I sighed. I knew him too well already to think he was going to let me be. The thing was, I didn't know what he'd heard before or if Peeta had said anything or if he was saying something to Annie right now. So I went with a half-truth.

"I didn't fall in love with Peeta when I was a kid. I wasn't interested in that." He looked completely incredulous. "My dad died when I was young, so I was busier keeping food on the table than thinking about boys." He didn't seem to expect that answer, and he looked serious for a second but I had no hope he would stop asking.

"But surely you had to think about boys, with the quota and all." I sighed.

"Yes. For a long time I thought I was going to marry Gale, my friend from the Seam." Finnick nodded.

"That makes sense," I'd already explained the differences between the merchant class and the Seam. "Did he marry someone else?" I shook my head. He knew exactly what had happened to Gale without me saying anything and he let it go. "So then came chivalrous good guy Peeta and swept you off your feet?" I sighed. I rather agree with Finnick otherwise, he would wear me out until I agreed with him.

"Yes, something like that." I said trying to empty all the sacks into containers as fast as possible so I could run away from his questions. Watching the containers half full made me anxious, but I knew that it we were careful we would make it until the end of the month. He seemed to be appeased for the moment, and I almost smile when he went on working for almost a full five minutes before he spoke again. I groaned out loud.

"But there's something I don't get. There's no way Peeta fell in love with you just like that."

"What are you even talking about?"

"He's not the type." Maybe I could run out before he saw me. Or I could hide behind a box until he left. God knew that he would keep talking whether I was there or not. "He has this way to him, like he knows what he wants. Like with baking. His dad said that as soon as he could walk he demanded to be taught how to bake. And he's done that every day of his life, now, does that strike you like the kind of guy who would marry someone on a whim? I don't think so." He smiled to himself, like he'd suddenly solved the puzzle. The problem was that I couldn't completely disagree with him.

"If you're so damn curious why don't you just ask him yourself? He's upstairs, you know."

"But annoying you is so much more fun." I decided to ignore him for the rest of the afternoon. But there was nothing I could do to stop myself from thinking about what he'd said.

* * *

**So what did you think? **

**I'll post as soon as I can. **

**Thanks for reading!**


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